Imbroglio
by moonandstars1989
Summary: SEQUEL TO DEADPOOL: Alex is back on the run only this time, she isn't alone. As she struggles to maintain a normal life, she must face her toughest challenges yet. And when she hears of the crisis in Beacon Hills, she must choose between her friends and her own survival. The past is catching up, and its closer than anyone could have imagined.
1. Prologue - Hallucination

**AN: Here's the prologue to the sequel to _Deadpool, Imbroglio._ If you haven't read it, take a look! Hope you like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or any of the characters and plot lines in this story. The OC, Alex, is based on a character from the TV show Heroes but you don't need to have seen it to understand this story.**

 **Enjoy x**

* * *

 _His lips were harsh against mine, but I responded nonetheless. He seemed urgent, like he didn't have much time. Or maybe I didn't have much time. I wasn't sure. I cleared my mind of the thought, only focusing on the man in front of me, his hands on my waist, his rough stubble against my cheek. I twisted my fingers into his hair. In the dim light it almost looked black and in the moment I found myself prising our lips apart so I could look at it. In the absence of my lips he pressed his to my neck. I smiled at how affectionate he was being as I glanced over his shoulder._

 _It was then that I realised I had no idea where we were. The room was large, like a warehouse but there didn't seem to be any walls. It was vast and I knew in my head that there must be walls somewhere, but it was so big I couldn't see them in the dim light. I instantly tensed up, my hands leaving the wolf's hair and gripping his shoulders as if to keep him close. To protect him. Derek hadn't seemed to notice where we were, and if he did, he didn't care that it was unfamiliar. I could still feel him kissing my neck as I squeezed the material of his leather jacket._

 _'_ _How did we get here?' I whispered but he didn't respond. 'Derek.' I said his name but the sound of it frightened me. Usually when his name left my lips it was said with passion and emotion. Now, the name sounded dull when I heard myself say it. It almost felt numb._

 _'_ _Shh,' I heard him murmur, his lip brushing my ear. The sound was deep and strangely calming and I felt my anxiety slip way as I caught his lips in mine once again. But this wasn't right. Why was he acting so calm? And why was I going along with it? I abruptly pulled my lips away, bringing my hands up to each side of his face so I could look at him. He didn't frown like he usually did when I pulled away. His expression was blank. Absent. But that wasn't the only strange thing._

 _He was cold. Really cold. He was usually warm, more so than others because of the fact that he was a werewolf. But now all the warmth was gone from his skin, his body, his eyes. I wondered why I hadn't noticed it before when we were kissing. It wasn't like the kind of cold when you stand outside in a blizzard and you come in with chapped lips and red cheeks. It was a brittle cold. His cheeks were not red. His skin was a lifeless grey. It reminded me of a time back in Beacon Hills when…_

 _I couldn't bear to think of it._

 _If he had been lying on the floor in that moment I would have thought him dead. It frightened me. He frightened me._

 _'_ _We need to leave.' The words stuttered from my mouth so quietly. I didn't know why I felt like that. But that place, the never ending warehouse, was putting me on edge. It made me nervous and I didn't like it. I released his face and gripped onto his hand, trying not to think of how alarmingly cold it felt in my palm. I made to leave, pulling him with me, but he didn't move._

 _'_ _Shh, it's okay,' he repeated, pulling me back into him as he trailed his thumb down my cheek. I wanted to scream at him. What's wrong with you? Why are you being like this? In my head I was yelling, but out loud I couldn't. I was frozen in his arms. He pulled me into him, and I didn't resist. Even after everything I still felt safer in his arms than out. I lay my head on his chest and felt him rest his chin of my head. It was comforting in a way, but I shivered in the low temperature._

 _I then felt a dampness on my cheek. Was I crying? I raised a hand up to wipe it away and was startled when I saw blood. It was dark like it had been mixed with black ink and I wiped at my face to try and get rid of it. I looked to Derek who was glancing down at me, this time a frown on his face. I stared at his chest. The blood wasn't mine._

 _Under his leather jacket, his white t shirt had a small red patch of blood on it. It grew slowly, like it was absorbing the blood from the other side. I pressed a hand to his chest, thik red liquid suddenly leaking out between my fingers and running down my arm. 'What's happening?' I whispered as the shirt turned red. I took as step back, releasing it from my grip. He crumpled to the floor._

* * *

I woke abruptly from my nightmare, hair clinging to my clammy forehead as I breathed heavily. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling whilst I took deep breaths. I glanced beside me. The man slept soundlessly, my abrupt awakening and bad dream not disturbing him at all. He had his front towards me so I could see his peaceful face. Bringing a hand to his cheek I gently ran a finger over it, my nails lightly catching on his stubble, before brushing his hair out of his closed eyes. I sighed. He was warm and safe.

I slipped out of the bed and into the bathroom, only turning on the light once the door was shut. It was a struggle sometimes remembering that Derek was no longer as fragile as he had been when I first knew him. I constantly had to remind myself that he could take care of himself now, probably better than I could.

I felt stuck in a cycle. Even after everything that had happened in Beacon Hills, I was still waking in the middle of the night, tormented by my nightmares. They had progressed from just the feeling of being buried alive though. Before Beacon Hill, the only thing I worried about was myself. Now, though, I had people I cared for, making the not so good dreams even more unbearable than before. But although the nightmares were a bitch, I was glad to have people to worry about. And I wouldn't trade them for anything.

* * *

 **AN: So there's the beginning. If you are a little confused/wondering about where they are or how much time as passed, all will be revealed in the next chapter.**

 **Sorry this took a while to get up. I didn't want to put up the first chapter until I had a few written and a good idea about where this is going.**

 **Also, check out the poll on my profile please! Hope you liked this one, let me know any thoughts you have on this and where you think Alex's story will take her. Much love x**


	2. Chapter 1 - Deceitfulness

(4 months later)

'Err...truth' I called to the werewolf in the other room.

'You chose truth last time,' he called back as he walked into the small living room. He sat down across from me on the grey carpet and handed me the cup of coffee. We had yet to purchase any proper furniture for our new apartment we were renting, though I doubted we ever would. We had to stick to our rules - the ones we had come up with to ensure our safety. Every six months, we would move, no matter what. So far it had only been four since we left Beacon Hills so we were still in our first apartment. And when I say apartment, it was more like the loft, only vastly smaller.

'Dares are boring,' I shot back. Derek sent me an exasperated look.

'Fine.' He looked thoughtful for a second, contemplating the many questions I was sure he wanted to ask me and deciding which one was the most important. Over the time we had spent just the two of us, we had gone through a lot of them. They were mostly about my past, though there was a certain chunk of seven months he had refrained from asking me about on my own request. I felt comfortable around him, enough to answer his questions, just not those about that particular time in my life. I would tell him everything eventually, but not just yet.

His eyebrows furrowed for a second as he thought about his question and he finally met my eyes as I took a sip of my coffee. 'When's your birthday?' he asked and I almost choked on the hot, caffeinated drink.

'What?'

'You heard me,' he replied with a small smirk.

'Why do you want to know?' I asked defensively and he shook his head with a chuckle.

'Don't look so worried,' he laughed. 'Come on, when is it?'

'You know how old I am. Why does it matter when I...'? I was cut off.

'I'd just like to know when the big day is,' he replied.

'It's not a big day,' I argued. 'Just assume that this time next year, I'll be a year older.'

'I don't understand what the problem is with knowing –.' Now it was my turn to cut him off.

'Seriously, why do you care so much?!' It came out harsher than I had intended and I felt instant regret. It was times like these when I was reminded of how I was when we first met, hostile and angry. I had come far from that person six months ago, though sometimes she would reappear.

'Okay, easy,' he joked, pretending to have to calm me down. I relaxed. 'Forget I asked.'

'Really?' I asked. It was unlike him to let things go so easily. He had changed a lot too, but that fact about him hadn't.

'Yeah, I'll just find your passport when you're asleep and check it,' he said smugly and I bit my lip.

'Yeah, I don't have a passport,' I admitted.

'What? How can you not have a passport?' he asked.

'It's not like I never had one,' I said. 'I just lost it.' He looked ready to argue but I cut him off, anticipating his next remark. 'And no, I can't just apply for a new one, remember, I'm reported as missing in seven states and reported as _dead_ in three,' I reminded him, referring to a conversation we had about six weeks ago.

'You _must_ at least have a birth certificate?' he said.

'I have a death certificate...?' I mumbled, the words coming out like a question as if I was trying to make them seem like same thing. He sent me an annoyed look. 'It was from this one time in Iowa,' I said, a small grin of my lips as I watched him eye me weirdly.

'You kept it? he asked incredulously.

'I thought it was funny,' I said defensively. It was, in fact, far from funny, but the idea of it was so insane and horrific that it somehow didn't bother me too much. I guess I found it amusing that someone could actually have a death certificate and still be alive. It made me feel powerful in some way, like I had battled with death and won. 'I was thinking I would send it to Stiles and freak him out,' I joked. Derek sent me an unimpressed look. 'Sorry,' I said but he simply shook his head with a chuckle.

'You are unbelievable,' he muttered under his breath as he took another sip from his coffee.

'I'll take that as a compliment,' I smirked back.

* * *

I strode briskly up the stairs, the elevator having broken again for the third time in two weeks. Although I did have my ability it didn't mean I liked walking up what seemed like endless flights of stairs to get to the fifth floor. I reached the top and turned onto the corridor, making my way to the door to Derek and I's apartment.

'Hey Alex,' the blue haired girl said as she passed me in the corridor, flashing me an enthusiastic smile.

'Hi Marty,' I replied with a smile of my own.

'Elevator out again?' she asked, noticing I had come from the stairwell.

'Unfortunately,' I replied begrudgingly. We chatted for a little while about our days before she excused herself to go downstairs. Marty was one of five residents that occupied the fifth floor. Firstly, was Derek and I, then Marty whose door was a few feet from opposite us. Lastly was Paul, or Crabby Paul as Marty liked to call him, and his cat. He was the owner of the entire building and therefore was the one we were supposed to go to if there were any maintenance issues. He was, however, the grumpiest and most hostile man I had ever encountered, which, for me, was definitely saying something. It wasn't that he was creepy; it was that it was clear how much he despised Derek and I from the moment we moved in and from what Marty had said, he felt the same way about her too.

Not only was Marty our neighbour but she was also our friend. In fact, apart from a group of residents from Beacon Hills, she was possibly my only friend. She was a fairly thin girl with slender fingers that were always decorated in rings. She was also an art student, a pretty talented one at that. She had converted most of her apartment into a studio and had canvases and paints littered everywhere. The other thing about Marty was her hair. It was bright blue that started off lightly at the roots and seemed to grow in intensity as it reached its ends. It was long and wavy and usual styled in a way that screamed 'I just got out of bed.' And that's what I loved about it. She was only slightly shorter than me but I guessed her to be a few years older – maybe more like Derek's age. She seemed to have wormed her way into our lives without either of us really realising it. In the beginning we simply greeted each other when we passed in the hallway but not before long we had been heading off for coffee together and inviting each other over for lunch and a gossip (which usually involved Marty talking, me listening and Derek bailing and pretending to be sick). I had wondered at the beginning why she seemed to latch onto us so quickly (we weren't exactly the most sociable people) but I realised that she was probably just happy for the company that wasn't Crabby Paul. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. It only took me about a week to realise I wouldn't have been able to survive the past four months without her.

It was safe to say that the last four months had been strange for the both Derek and I. The routine, the apartment, the small town in Oregon; it was all so different from what either of us were used to, but we were surviving.

Readjusting back into normal life seemed to be hard for Derek. I guessed it was probably because he had never gone this long without someone trying to kill him ever since the fire that killed his family. Of course, there was also the fact that he had evolved. He was back to his full strength he had before I met him, along with the healing, speed and reflexes. I was certain I wouldn't be able to take him in a fight anymore but I had refrained from provoking him to find out. He also had his eyes back, his real wolf eyes. They seemed to get increasingly more beautiful and vibrant every time he showed them to me which seemed to occur too often for him but not nearly often enough for me. I couldn't get enough of them. To me, they represented this rawness and vulnerability inside him, but at the same time his undeniable strength. To me, they were _him_ , and I somehow knew if I saw another werewolves eyes the same colour that they wouldn't be nearly as capturing as his. After the first month or so, post evolution, he rarely shifted into his full wolf form, probably because a suitable threat never surfaced. But I knew that if one did, he wouldn't hesitate to change from a man to a sleek black wolf.

The time after Beacon Hills had been strange for me too. Not only was it out of the ordinary to have no one try to kill me in so long, it was also strange for me to not have _died_ in so long, though I wasn't complaining. Far from it in fact. As it happens, not dying and coming back to life three times a week gives you a surprising amount of free time. Lately, I tended to use my extra hours to avoid sleeping, to irritate Derek and to think about the address scrawled across the small piece of paper located in my purse.

It was odd to find that a small crumpled piece of paper could slowly drive me into insanity. Truthfully, it was all I really thought about. What would I find there if I went? And more importantly, _who?_ But that wasn't the only reason it occupied my every waking moment. The other was the guilt I held about it. I had yet to tell Derek about the small, valuable piece of paper. Every day I wondered if it would be the day I managed to tell him, but it had never happened. In the end I decided that I would only tell him once I had decided myself what I was going to do about it. At the moment, the only people who knew were Deaton and Scott, and I wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. What was that line from the James Bond movie? _If I tell you, I'll have to kill you?_ That wasn't going to do me any favours.

I suppressed the feelings of guilt as I slid the key into the lock, turning it and pushing open the door.

'Derek?' I called as I entered. I walked further in to the small loft and found him doing push ups on the floor at an alarming rate. He wore only a pair of black jeans, his sculpted body gleaming with sweat. My eyes searched his form, gaze lingering on the triskelion tattoo in the centre of his back. I smiled to myself as I remembered the first time I had seen it, the memory seeming distant in the back of my mind, yet still precious.

'Take a picture, it'll last longer,' he quipped at me sarcastically. I knew he knew I had been standing there for a little while. He pushed himself from the floor and pulled a t-shirt over his head.

'I don't need a picture,' I said as I walked over to him. 'I have the real thing.' I hooked a finger over the neckline of his t-shirt and gently pulled, lowering his head so I could press a kiss to his lips.

'Mmm,' he murmured, raising an eyebrow at me as I pulled away.

'Did you speak to Cora today?' I asked the green eyed wolf. My green eyed wolf.

'Yeah, she's traveling up to Columbia in a few months,' he replied.

'Did she say where?' I asked, curious as to the whereabouts and wellbeing of his sister. 'Maybe we could see her?'

'No, she didn't say,' he replied and I could have sworn I saw a hint of disappointment in his expression. I didn't press it though, not wanting to upset him. I wasn't the only one who had things they didn't like to talk about and although he hadn't specifically said it out loud, I guessed that for him, his family was one of those things.

'What about you?' he asked, quickly changing the subject. 'Have you heard from Stiles?' The questioned seemed pointless. _How could I have not heard from Stiles._ He sent me an update on the Beacon Hills situation almost every other day.

'Everything seems to be fine,' I said, pulling a small smile. 'It's the full moon in a few days but apparently Liam's been doing well. He should be okay.' I thought back to our last full moon in Beacon Hills, the one where Liam had almost slaughtered Derek and Stiles in the back of a prison transport van. The memory of their idiocy made me inwardly role my eyes.

I let my mind swim for a moment, thinking back to my time in Beacon Hills. Whenever I did, something seemed to tug deep within me. It was similar to a sense of sadness, wrenching at my furthest emotions and trying to pull them up. I thought it could have been my soul, if I still had one.

Derek seemed to consider me for a moment before he spoke again. 'I know you miss them,' he said softly. I looked up at him, meeting his piercing green irises. He smiled sadly to me and pulled me into his hard chest, wrapping his arms around my smaller frame. Although he would never say it out loud, I knew he missed them too. They were as much his family as they were mine, if not more. He rested his chin on my head and we stood like that for a moment. Just being close to him could instantly calm and clear my mind.

'You're really sweaty,' I mumbled into his chest, a pouty frown on my face. I heard a chuckle grumble in his chest as he pulled away.

'I'm gonna take a shower,' he said as he started towards the bathroom. I smirked at him.

'Was that an invitation?' I asked, my smirk widening into a grin.

'Is it ever not?' he asked back over his shoulder as he disappeared into the bathroom. I smiled, bit my lip and followed him, discarding my leather jacket on the way.

* * *

I punched the keys on my laptop, pulling up a map on Seattle and examining the street, trying to find the one I was looking for.

'You coming to bed,' I heard Derek call from across the room. I frowned, glancing at the clock at the bottom of my screen.

 _1am. When did that happen?_

I closed my laptop, deleting my search history just to be safe. Derek occasionally borrowed my laptop and I didn't want him finding out about what Scott had given me before I wanted him to.

'Not tonight,' I said, getting to my feet and walked over to when he was sitting on the edge of the bed. 'Marty wanted me to read over her dissertation like a week ago and I still haven't done it,' I lied smoothly. Technically it wasn't actually a lie. She had asked me to do it but that wasn't why I didn't want to go to bed. Sleeping meant nightmares and I couldn't bear to watch Derek and any of my other friends getting hurt again when I closed my eyes.

' _You're_ gonna read an art dissertation?' he asked incredulously and I didn't blame him for his scepticism. It was no secret that didn't know much about art and I had complained endlessly to Derek after Marty had dragged me around a contemporary exhibition about a month ago. But Marty, being the way she was, had not been able to accept my disinterest in her favourite subject and had vowed to educate me.

I scowled at him playfully. 'You know how Marty is,' I said, smiling fondly at the thought of the girl. Derek smiled before his expression turned more serious.

'You haven't slept in over two weeks, Alex,' he said, his brow furrowing in concern for me, though I didn't want it. 'I'm worried about you.'

'You don't need to be,' I assured him.

'I do when you're afraid,' he said. I looked away from him but he caught me chin with his finger and gently lifted my face to look at him. 'Talk to me, Alex,' he said, wishing for me to open up. It was rare for him to be like this. He usually seemed to accept my lack of sleep and I thought I was doing a good job at masking my reasons for it. I guess I wasn't as good an actor as I thought and he was much better.

'What happened to Dylan,' I whispered, not being able to speak the words any louder. 'That can never happen to you, to anyone.'

'It won't,' he said, pressing his lips to my forehead in a lingering kiss. 'I won't let it.' I lay down on the mattress next to him, pulling the covers over myself as he wrapped his arms around my waist protectively. I pressed my lips to his, smiling a little as we pulled away. I watched his eyes flutter shut after a moment and rested my head on his chest, listening to the sound of his breathing.

I would wait until he fell asleep before slipping out of the bed.

* * *

 **AN: So there's chapter one! I hope you liked it :)**

 **So this starts from 4 months after Alex and Derek have left Beacon Hills. What do you think is in store for Alex in the future?**

 **Let me know what you thought. Much love x**


	3. Chapter 2 - Movie Night

**Warning: Mention of suicidal thoughts and related themes (in the flashback).**

* * *

(Two years ago)

 _I folded my arms in the cold, the leather of my jacket straining against my elbows. It had been a little over two months since I escaped the research facility and my mind was still reeling from the events of the past year. I found that thinking about it too much, in fact even a little, caused my chest to tighten and I found myself not being able to breathe. I couldn't count how many times I had ended up crouched over on all fours trying to force air into my deflated lungs._

 _But I was passed than now. Dylan was gone. I was back to square one. I could either let my fear and grief and hatred consume me or I could push it all down. Lock it away behind some imaginary wall and try to forget._

 _I had nowhere to go, no money, no family or friends. I planned on visiting Dylan's apartment one last time before I left the state but hadn't yet found the courage. And then there was him. The man I had met for the first time only two months ago but who had been searching for me for much longer. I knew what he wanted, that much Dylan had made clear to me. He wanted my ability – to heal. I couldn't fathom why. All my ability had ever caused me was grief and hurt. The worst part was that there was no way out. There wasn't even the mercy of death. I had considered trying, but I knew it would be no use. I couldn't die. I would be stuck in this limbo forever, playing cat and mouse with the man who hunted me._

 _I pressed closer into the brick wall as a couple walked past me through the night. They didn't seem to notice me as they strolled under the damp bridge. I was thankful for that._

 _I pulled out my zippo lighter, the one I had stolen when I was thirteen, and flicked it open. The small flame ignited and I stared at it. It danced silently in the wind, like a candle on a birthday cake. I watched it sway as I ran I finger through it, at first quickly so it wouldn't burn, and then holding it there for a little too long, causing the skin to start to bluster. I frowned at it as I pulled it out of the flickering flame. It didn't hurt like it would have before. I recalled burning my hand on a curling iron when I was fourteen and that had hurt much more until it had healed. As I watched the skin smooth over I realised that the reason was obvious: I had grown resistant to the pain. I could still feel it, and it still hurt, but the sharp edge was gone, making it bearable until it had healed._

 _I watched the river as it ran under the bridge, the moonlight the only thing penetrating the darkness. It was full that tonight and I knew what that meant._

 _I looked back to the flame, remembering why I had got it out in the first place._

 _'_ _Happy Birthday, Alex,' I said to myself, almost sarcastically. Happy was the last thing I felt. It was my birthday, my eighteenth birthday to be precise. I was an adult now and I needed to start taking proper care of myself. 'You're not a kid anymore, Alex,' I told myself. 'No one's gonna give you free handouts anymore.'_

 _I needed to take control of my life and stop sitting around under bridges feeling sorry for myself. I decided then and there that I would start looking out for myself, and only myself. Those I cared about only ended up hurting me and those who cared about me ended up dead. There was no other way. It was going to be me against everything, and that was the way it had to be. There was no alternative._

 _I noticed the flame start to flicker and deliberated whether I should blow it out. It was my birthday after all. In my head I imagined Dylan telling me to make a wish, like he had the previous year. But Dylan wasn't here anymore._

 _I pushed myself from the muddy ground and tossed the lighter into the river, the flame extinguishing instantly._

* * *

It was strange, but occasionally the residents who had wormed their way into my heart weren't the only things I missed about Beacon Hills. There was something alive about that place, something organically thriving when the stench of murder didn't grip the streets. I missed the small places that somehow felt safe, like the animal clinic or Stiles' living room. Even that godforsaken school that seemed to have seen more death than even I had. I realised that I was glad Derek hadn't sold the loft. He said it was because he wanted to always have a base in Beacon Hills, and after spending four months away from it, I realised that it was the closest place I had to a home.

The days seemed to pass fairly quickly after the full moon. If Derek had noticed my absence from our bed every night that week he didn't give it away. As far as I knew, he was doing just fine and he didn't need me dragging him back down.

'Did you read it yet?' Marty asked as she took a sip from her coffee. I had been at her place for the last couple of hours.

'Not yet,' I said simply, flicking through one of her sketchbooks she had left on the coffee table. She nodded in response before her eyes widened as if she had just remembered something she wanted to tell me.

'You know who I bumped into today?' she said eagerly.

'Who?' I asked, not looking up from her detailed drawings. I was currently examining one of the back of a woman's head, her hair falling delicately over her shoulders.

'Emily,' she said, adding 'from the third floor,' when I looked up at her with no recollection of the name.

'Oh yeah,' I said, vaguely remembering Marty mentioning her to me a few times. Having lived in the building for almost a year longer than Derek and I, she had gained quite a network of friends from the lower floors, sharing gossip in the stairwell from time to time.

'Well she told me that Carol – you know Carol right?' she said, gaining enthusiasm as the sentence went on.

'Sure,' I said, rolling my eyes. Carol was a woman who was in her early thirties that lived on the floor below us. She had a relatively shy demeanour and seemed to keep to herself. However, it seemed that this girl Emily was determined to dismantle her modest reputation.

'Well she told me that, apparently, Carol is sleeping with Paul.' My eyes widened. I wasn't one to usually be remotely interested in gossip but this was just too outrageous.

' _Carol_ is having sex with Crabby Paul?' I questioned sceptically, my eyebrows arching in surprise.

'No, no, Paul from the ground floor,' she corrected and my brow furrowed.

'You mean the guy who works in HR?' I asked.

'Yep,' she said proudly as if she had discovered something ground-breaking. I deflated. This wasn't as thrilling as I had first thought. In fact, I had seen the two chatting a few weeks ago and thought they were well suited for each other. They were both equally boring.

'Why do you care?' I asked, beginning to feel slightly bored at the meaningless conversation. Marty rolled her eyes at me, placing her coffee cup on the table.

'Because it's the most exciting thing that's happened since you and Derek moved in,' she said. I looked up at her, as if saying: _seriously?_ She eyed me for a second, as if trying to figure me out.

'You know what your problem is?' she said matter of factly. 'You don't know how to have fun.' At her words I shot her a glare, though it had no anger behind it.

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Well ever since you moved in, I've never seen you go out,' she said. I didn't understand her statement. I had left the apartment practically every day. She seemed to hear my unspoken confusion. 'What I mean is,' she paused, trying to find the right words. 'You never seem relaxed,' she said, 'like fully relaxed. And Derek…'

'What about Derek?' I snapped, suddenly feeling defensive.

'Look Alex, I'm saying this because I'm your friend.' She took a breath. I carried on glaring at her. 'You just both seem very intense all the time.' I wasn't sure how to respond to her statement. It wasn't that I didn't agree with her; Derek and I had both had intense pasts and I doubted either of us would ever get over them. Marty bringing it up only caused me to realise how badly we had been hiding it. 'Don't get me wrong, I think Derek's a great guy,' she said quickly, trying to reassure me that she didn't hate the guy I was living with. 'But sometimes the way he looks at you – the way you look at each other – it's like you're afraid it's for the last time.'

I realised she was completely right. The way I felt about him, it was like I was afraid I would turn around one day and he would have just disappeared.

'You guys just need to let loose once in a while,' she said, her seriousness evaporating as she laughed. 'I know! You should come round tonight, we can watch movies and eat pizza!' She clapped her hands together like an excited child before looking back at me. 'And bring Derek.'

'I dunno,' I said, quickly trying to think of an excuse. 'I think he might be busy.'

'What?' she said, grinning, 'no way!'

'Sorry Marty, maybe another night,' I said. She visibly slumped.

'Okay,' she said, 'don't worry about it.' I went back to leafing through her drawings, a lump of guilt forming in my chest.

'You like those, huh?' she questioned and I could hear the smile in her voice.

'Yeah, they're great,' I said sincerely. The pencil stokes, the shading, they were incredible.

She excused herself momentarily to put her mug in the kitchen whilst a carried on flicking though the filled sketchpad. Near the end I came across one that caught my eye instantly. The animal looked real, almost as if it would jump out of the page. Even the fur looked as soft as it would have felt. It was a wolf. A large, black, glistening wolf. I frowned at it as I heard Marty's footsteps enter the room.

'That one's probably my favourite,' she said, looking over my shoulder to see the sketchpad. I gazed at the wolf as it stared back at me. They entire picture, and in fact the entire book, was done entirely in pencil, meaning all the drawings were in black and white. But one thing about the picture wasn't monochrome at all.

'Marty, why did you colour the eyes blue?' I asked as she sat down across from me.

'Duh,' she laughed, twirling a strand of cobalt hair around her finger. 'It's my favourite colour.' My gaze flickered over to her for a moment, as if assuming I would find a hint of panic, a glistening forehead, a bitten lip. I didn't. The blue haired girl simply smiled at the drawing and resumed her position opposite me on the couch. My suspicions evaporated away.

'Close that a second,' she said after a moment, pulling a small box from her pocket. 'I got something for you.' I shut the notebook and placed in on the coffee table between us, folding my legs under myself in the relaxed way I always did when at Marty's place. 'Here,' she said, passing the box across the table to me. Now she was biting her lip, but in an excited way.

'Marty, what-?' I started as I frowned at the box.

'Come on, just open it,' she said with a smile, gnawing on her thumb nail through the sleeve of her jumper. I arched an eyebrow at her for a second before opening up the box, the small metal object within falling out into my palm. I stared at it.

'It's to my place,' she said shyly, biting her lip as she waited for my reaction.

'You're giving me a key to your apartment?' I asked quietly, my eyes still glued to the key in my hand.

'I just figured you should have one,' she shrugged, a small smile on her lips. 'Don't think this means I expect you to give me one to yours,' she said quickly, her eyes widening. I chuckled.

'No, no, it's just,' I paused, a smile growing on my lips, 'no one's ever given me a key before.' I fumbled in my pocket for my set of keys. 'Here,' I said, pulling mine off and handing it to her.

'Oh Alex,' she said frowning at it, 'are you sure?'

'Yeah I'm sure,' I said sincerely. She looked happy from my response and got up to retrieve her own set of keys, no doubt to put my key on it. I realised then that I had given her my only key and hoped that Derek would be in the apartment later when I went back. I thought about what Marty had given me: the key. It wasn't just a piece of metal, it was a symbol of friendship and most of all, trust. I realise then that I needed her, possibly almost as much as I needed Derek. In this town where I was away from Stiles and Scott and Lydia and even Kira, I needed someone who I could talk to, about both important and meaningless things. She cared about me and Derek and I knew that even my green eyed wolf cared about her too. She was our friend and I imagined that in another life Derek and I would invite her and her future husband around for dinner parties and our kids would call her Aunt Marty. But that was all in my blissful imagination and I knew that Derek and I could never have that – we could never have _normal_. Even so, this didn't mean I couldn't dream that one day it might happen, especially in these moments.

After not too long I heard the jolting sound of 'crap!' coming from the kitchen, followed by Marty rushing back into the room in a frenzy of blue. 'It's four thirty already,' she said with wild eyes.

'Crap,' I repeated, grabbing my jacket from the couch and shoving my hands into the sleeves. I knew that Marty had a class on weekdays at 5 o'clock across town. I usually went over to her apartment three out of five of those days and sometimes we would lose track of the time. Well, almost every time in fact.

'I gotta go, I'm so sorry Alex,' she said and I shook my head, telling her not to worry.

I turned to leave before abruptly stopping as if I had forgotten something. I turned back to face the blue haired girl and pulled her into a tight hug, the chaos freezing for a brief moment.

'Thanks,' I said quietly before pulling away. She smiled at me before resuming getting ready. 'Hey Marty,' I called as I made it to the door. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. 'I think Derek and I will actually come over tonight,' I said, 'if that's okay?'

A wide smile spread across her face as she looked at me proudly. 'I'll see you at eight.'

* * *

'I cannot believe you're making me do this,' Derek complained as we stood at the door to Marty's apartment.

'Marty's our friend,' I said pointedly, 'and this is how we keep our friends.' I saw him roll his eyes at me and I glared back. 'Come on, she isn't that bad.'

'You said last week that she's basically a female version of Stiles,' he argued. My glare deepened.

'I like Stiles,' I replied angrily.

'Yeah so do I,' he said, 'in small doses. Not for an entire evening.'

'Well she really wanted both of us to come,' I told him, my stare softening. 'I actually think this could be good for us.' Derek sighed before reluctantly nodding his head.

'Fine,' he said and I smiled at him, pecking a quick kiss to his cheek.

'See? It's so much easier when you just do what I want,' I giggled, my lips grazing over his ear.

'Shut up,' he replied and I suppressed my chuckle, satisfying myself with a small grin which remained on my face as I knocked on Marty's door.

The blue haired girl smiled widely as she swung open the door. She greeted each of us with equal enthusiasm, me returning her hug happily whilst Derek stood stiffly, not even attempting to hug her back. She didn't seem to notice and even if she did, it didn't faze her. She excitedly beckoned us into her living room. Derek took a seat, turning on the TV and aimlessly flicking through the channels. I inwardly smiled when I recalled a time before when I had seen him doing this. It was after the lacrosse game back in Beacon Hills and he had helped me home after getting my ass handed to me by Violet. It was the first time he had stayed over in my apartment.

'Alex, can you help me with the drinks,' I heard Marty call from the kitchen. Mixed up in my thoughts, I hadn't heard her leave the room.

'Yeah, coming,' I yelled back so she could hear me over the TV. I found her in the kitchen pulling three wine glasses from the cupboard.

'I almost forgot how hot he was,' Marty whispered as she eyed Derek's form sitting on the couch. I scoffed at her comment before glancing over to Derek. A small smile had made its way onto his lips – he had clearly heard her. 'Do you want red or white?'

'I'll have whatever you have,' I replied. I didn't drink wine much, but then again, I wasn't much of an alcohol person anyway.

'You know I've never actually seen you drunk before,' she said before her eyes widened. It was the expression she wore when she had an idea that I was probably not going to like. 'We should go out sometime!' I chuckled at her incredulously. 'Oh no, I forgot, you can't,' she said flatly, pouting a little at me. I panicked a little on the inside. Did she know?

'What?' I asked.

'You're not twenty-one yet,' she replied.

'Oh right, yeah,' I said, acting like that was the reason I didn't want to go out to get drunk with her. Not being twenty-one wasn't really a problem for me. I had been to bars before, one time having several dry martinis in order to get drunk. It wasn't something I could do though, and although when I was younger I found this infuriating, it didn't really bother me anymore. After being a prisoner for 7 months the idea of being intoxicated and not in control of my body didn't sound like a fun evening. However, I had heard it was a way people used as an escape, a way to forget about the world for a night. In a way, I was envious of that.

We carried the full glasses into the living room and I handed one to Derek, nudging his shoulder with my elbow so he would scoot over on the couch. I took a sip of the wine (slightly dubiously) but was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't vile.

'So I picked up two movies from the store so you guys can decide with one you wanna watch,' Marty said, rummaging in a carrier bag for the two DVDs. She held them both up in front of her for me and Derek to see. 'Titanic or The Wolfman?' I couldn't stop the spray of wine that exploded from my mouth as I choked on my drink. I was thankful Marty had chosen white.

'Oh my god, I'm so sorry,' I said, standing up and placing my glass on the coffee table. I glanced over to Derek who was glaring at me. I bit my lip to stifle a giggle.

'Don't worry about it,' Marty said with a slightly flustered grin as she handed me a towel. 'So which one?'

'Umm,' I started, looking back over at Derek who was slowly shaking his head. 'We actually watched The Wolfman last weekend so… Titanic?' I said, my voice a little stuttered.

'Sure!' she replied chirpily, grabbing the movie case and hopping over to the TV. Derek grabbed my arm and pulled me back down next to him on the couch.

'You owe me for this,' he whispered flatly.

'I know.'

* * *

'That must be the pizza,' Marty said as we heard a knock at the door.

'I'll get it,' Derek said immediately, practically launching himself from the couch, jumping at the chance to miss out on a part of the film. He wasn't exactly a movie kind of person. I chuckled to myself as he left the room to go to the door.

I turned back to the small TV, Kate Winslet's porcelain face filling the screen. I shuffled a little on the couch and checked my watch again: it was nearing 10:30 and the Titanic hadn't even hit the iceberg get. _God, I forgot how long this film was._

'Alex, you got change for a twenty?' I heard Derek call from the door.

'Yeah, my purse is on the table,' I yelled back. For a moment, I acted as if nothing was the matter, not having realised my mistake yet. But within a few seconds I had leapt up from the couch and was bolting across the room to the door. My purse. The address. Derek couldn't find out.

I got to the door just in time, Derek's hand only a few inches from my purse lying on the table. I snatched it out from under his grasp, my breathing suspiciously shallow. Derek looked up, an eyebrow raised.

'Uh I need change for the carpark tomorrow,' I lied pretty unconvincingly. 'Just wanted to make sure I had enough.' Derek nodded slowly, his eyes still searching mine. I knew he didn't believe me but he wasn't going to ask me about it now. Not in front of Marty who had followed me to the door, or the pizza man who was still waiting awkwardly to be paid.

I carefully handed Derek the change which he took without a word and he paid the pizza guy. We turned back from the door and found Marty still staring strangely at us. She eyed each of us with slightly furrowed eyebrows, considering our nervous and slightly edgy (mine more than Derek's) demeanours. I remembered our conversation from earlier and this certainly wasn't going to cause her to change her mind on mine and Derek's intense relationship. For a moment it was silent, like all three of us were standing on the edge of a precipice. Then she seemed to fall out of her thoughts and shook her head, raising her hands in resignation.

'You two are so weird,' she said flatly before stalking back to the couch to watch the sinking ship.

* * *

 **AN: So that was the second chapter. I wasn't sure about it at first but hopefully you enjoyed it. Also, what did you think of the flashback? Shall I do more?**

 **So sorry that it's been over a week since my last update, will try to get the next one out sooner!** **Let me know what you thought of this one. Much love x**


	4. Chapter 3 - Secrets

I never should have let myself fall asleep. But the week after the movie night had mentally drained me so much that for the first time in my life, I had found myself craving it.

I was laying on the mattress, my head under the duvet to hide myself from the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. My nightmare still rung in my mind, the horror of it resurfacing with my every intake of breath. The worst part was that the actually nightmare hadn't been bad – not compared to the shame and dismay I had felt when I had awoken. The memory was almost too painful to think about, but it wouldn't stop swirling in my head.

 _(the previous night)_

 _His body lay motionless on the floor, the dark figure standing over him. There was no grief left in me, not tears left to shed. There was only rage, a red hot burning anger to see the man who had ruined my life and taken everything from me pay. Without thinking, I lunged for him, my weight colliding with his cold frame as we fell away from Derek's body. The first thing I noticed was the werewolf-like claws protruding from his fingers, only they weren't like any claws I had ever seen. They were long, like knives, and stained red from the blood of all the supernatural creatures he had killed and stolen abilities from. They dug into the skin of my arm, the flood running out of the wound before it closed up. The next thing I saw were the fangs, the fangs of a wendigo. They gnashed at me as he pushed me to the ground and I fought to keep them away from my face. The Scavenger's strength was unimaginable, but I somehow managed to flip him over, pinning him to the ground. I was on top of him, striking him over and over again with my fists. I was filled with so much hatred it scared me. It sent chills up my spine like fine needles, biting down to the bone._

 _'_ _Alex.' The Scavenger said my name, his voice hoarse and menacing. I realised then and there that this was my chance. I had him pinned. He wasn't getting away easily. I wondered why he wasn't stronger, why he wouldn't fight back now that he was on the floor. I couldn't understand._

 _'_ _Alex.' He said my name again, this time louder and somehow, clearer. Why wouldn't he fight back? It was frustrating me now. He had spent years searching for me, hunting me down, and now that I was in his grasp, why wasn't he fighting to take my ability?_

 _'_ _Alex,' he said once more. I couldn't stand hearing my name leave his lips any longer. I screamed at him, thrashing down but somehow I found I couldn't move. I screamed louder, shouting, yelling for him to tell me why he wouldn't fight. Asking him why he was hunting me. Asking him why he would even want my ability – my curse._

'Alex!' I heard his voice, the voice of my wolf, tearing through my chest as I opened my eyes. I was on top of him, his hands holding my wrists above his head. I looked at them. They were balled into fists and a stream of blood ran out from between my fingers. I opened them, my palm stinging as I pulled my fingernails from the skin. The wounds healed instantly but I didn't feel any better. Derek looked terrified – for me rather than for himself. My chest was heaving and beads of sweat ran off of my face – or where those tears? I wasn't sure. I watched as Derek's eyes changed back from their vibrant blue to their emerald pools. He didn't release me until he was sure I was awake and when he did I collapsed on the bed next to him, my face buried in the pillow as I sobbed.

He didn't say anything at first, simply wrapping me in his strong arms from behind and pulling me close to his chest, cradling me like a child. I didn't like him seeing me like this. I didn't like feeling vulnerable, even in front of the man I trusted the most.

'You're okay,' I could hear him whispering to me over and over and I wondered if he was trying to convince himself of it more that he was trying to convince me. I knew what it did to him when he saw me like this and that hurt me more than anything. Out of the corner of my eye I could see his jaw clenching, a thing he did when he was either in deep thought or deeply concerned about something. Or both.

I wasn't sure what he had experienced before I had woken up. Was it him I had been trying to hurt whilst in my nightmare? The thought made bile form in my throat and I swallowed it down, the bitter taste lingering in my mouth. I pulled out of his protective grasp and sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him.

'I'm sorry,' I whispered, the words inaudible to any human. I was struggling to see. Although I had stopped sobbing, the tears still flowed down my cheeks, clouding my vision. I slowly stood up, making my way to the bathroom without looking back. Once there, I ran the water from the tap over my bloody hands. The water was cold, freezing actually. I wondered if we had forgotten to pay the gas bill again. Even so, I let it wash away the blood stains from between my fingers and across my palms.

I looked up in the mirror, Derek's muscular figure appearing behind me in it. He was leaning against the door frame, arms folded as he considered me. Although he appeared casual, I could see the tension in his shoulders and how he had positioned himself carefully as to not cross the threshold.

'Alex,' he said, his voice not a whisper anymore. It was clear. 'Is there anything-?'

'No,' I said, answering his question before it had fully formed on his tongue. 'I'll be in in a minute.' I stood stationary for a second, contemplating whether he should stay. But he knew me well, and knew I would want to be alone to pull myself together. He nodded once in the mirror before turning and heading back to bed.

I joined him some ten minutes later. He lay awake with me for a long time before the clutches of sleep took over and he drifted off. And just like that the window of opportunity had closed. It was one of our rules – when it came to my nightmares, events of the night could not be brought up the next day.

* * *

I picked at my nails under the duvet at the memory of the previous night. Derek hadn't said a word about it to me, simply acting like everything was okay like we had discussed. I could see something different in his eyes though, like he knew something had to change. I knew that he wasn't going to let this one go easily. I had scared him last night; physically terrified him to the bone. For now, he would act like everything was fine, but I knew at some point, despite out rules, that he would bring it up.

'So I've been wondering why you made such a big deal about your purse the other day,' Derek started as he walked out of the bathroom. I was glad he wasn't talking about the events of the previous night, though I wasn't too fond of this subject content either. I tensed under the duvet, my hands suddenly becoming clammy. I didn't want him knowing about the address in Seattle right now, not until I had made a decision on what I was going to do. 'And I thought,' he continued, 'what could possibly be in Alex's purse that she doesn't want me to see.' I turned over to face him and sat up, peeling back the covers and sitting on the edge of the bed.

He didn't look angry or pissed off. If anything he looked smug, as if he was pleased with himself. 'And then it hit me,' he said, his smug expression widening into a smirk. I watched in thinly veiled horror as he pulled something from the pocket of his sweatpants and held it up. It was small and rectangular. I held my breath.

'Driver's license.' I released the breath. 'Your birthday was back in June,' he said curiously, 'you haven't been nineteen in almost two months.' I sighed, standing up and walking over to him.

'Congratulations, Sherlock,' I drawled as I pulled the license out from between his fingers and shoved it into my pyjama shorts. Derek snorted.

'Why didn't you tell me, we would've done something –,' he started but I cut him off icily.

'Done what? Something to celebrate?' I asked, raising my voice at him. 'I don't want to celebrate my birthday. I hate my birthday!'

'Alex…' he said, trying to calm me down, but the words kept flowing from my acidic tongue.

'You wanna know why? Let me see,' I pretended to be thinking as I seethed, past pain resurfacing. 'I spent my sixteenth homeless in an alley after I ran away from home. I spent my seventeenth with my best friend who was then murdered, and then I spent my eighteenth and nineteenth alone as I tried to run from the people who spent seven months dissecting and torturing me. Oh and don't forget the guy who wants my ability so bad he would murder the whole fucking country to get it. So sorry if I don't want to remember or celebrate all the shit things that have happened over the last 4 years!' I stared at Derek as my chest heaved, my eyes stinging as I tried to hold back the tears.

'What about your twentieth?' he asked quietly and my heart sank. I instantly felt awful.

'I was here, with you,' I mumbled, suddenly unable to look him in the eye. I remembered the day vividly. The kitchen sink had a burst pipe and we spent hours on our hands and knees mopping up all the water on the floor. I remembered it so well because it was the first time I had felt normal in over four years. We spent the day dealing with domestic problems, rather than supernatural ones. It was probably one of the best days of my life. 'I didn't want to ruin it,' I said, trying to get him to understand. 'I don't want to think about the past four years anymore, okay?' He didn't say anything and I let my eyes fall to the carpet.

'I know,' he said finally, a thumb gently nudging my chin up to look at him. 'And you don't have to.' I looked up into his perfect green eyes to see him staring into mine. I wanted to believe his words, for them to be a reality, but I knew right then that they couldn't be, especially after the events of the previous night.

'Yes I do,' I said quietly. 'I can't move on whilst _he's_ still out there.'

* * *

My fists collided with the punching bag one after the other, the impact in each blow releasing a knot of tension from my body. It wasn't necessarily anger I was feeling, but there was an element of frustration with in me. Although I didn't need to train to keep my fitness up, I found it helped me focus. That was why as soon as Derek had left to run a few errands I had stripped down to a sports bra and leggings, wrapped up my knuckles and was now beating the crap out of the punching bag that was suspended from the ceiling. Of course, I only did this after I had removed the address from my purse and stuffed it into the back of the draw on my bedside table. That morning it had been a close call and I doubted I would get that lucky again.

I punched the bag again. Why was this affecting me so much? I had had nightmares before. Why couldn't I shake this one like the others? I presumed it was because I had never woken on top of Derek before having tried to hurt him in my sleep. I that moment I had been grateful for the fact that he was a werewolf, so therefore he could hear and sense my advances before I had done any physical damage. The dream had felt so real, so vivid.

I punched the bag again. I needed to regain my focus. All this worrying and stressing over nightmares was getting me nowhere. If I was going to be affective in sorting out my problems I needed to focus on the present – what was happening at the moment. I considered all my worries, regarding the address and the primary one I needed to sort out. In my head I examined my thought processes. I had two options. I could either go to the address in Seattle and find out what was there or I could forget about it entirely. I also decided that not telling Derek about the address was not an option. He needed to know. I trusted him, right? And he trusted me. If he was in the same boat he would have told me straight away.

I punched the bag again. But the problem was that my nightmare had terrified both of us. We both were only starting to realise how deep we were involved, not only with each other but with the man who hunted me. I realised that in bringing Derek with me when I left Beacon Hills, I had put him in more danger than ever. The Scavenger was after me, but I knew that Derek would never let that happen. He would likely die trying to protect me, rather than protect himself, and I would never be able to live with myself if that happened.

I was about to lay into the punching bag again when the piercing ring of my cell echoed through the small loft. I raised an eyebrow at the name flashing across my screen as I glanced at it on the table. I pressed the accept button, putting the caller on speaker phone so I could continue with my work out.

'Lydia,' I greeted, 'to what do I owe the pleasure?' She scoffed a little at the sarcasm in my question, although she knew I didn't mean it.

'And I thought you might actually miss me,' she replied in a similar tone. I smiled to myself. _I did miss her._ It wasn't as if I hadn't spoken to the strawberry blonde since I had left but her calls were far rarer than Stiles'.

'So how are things back in Beacon Hills?' I asked, curious to how they were all surviving without me.

'Well no one's died yet,' she replied a little flatly. I stifled a laugh. Her use of the word 'yet' made it sound like she was expecting something bad to happen, and coming from a Banshee, a feeling wasn't something to ignore.

'That's good to know.' I thought for a moment as hit the bag a few more times. 'How's Stiles?' I asked. 'I haven't heard from him in a while.'

'Stressing as usual. About senior year mostly… and college… and graduation … and-.'

'Graduation?' I asked. 'That's not for like another nine months.'

'Yeah but it's Stiles,' she said and I nodded my head in understanding. 'What are you doing?' she asked suddenly her voice cutting. 'It sounds like your beating the crap out of someone.' I ceased my punching immediately, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

'Sorry, I was just working out,' I told her.

'Hmm,' I heard her mumble sceptically. 'How's Derek?' she asked carefully. Her tone was off. I knew she could already tell what the answer was but I decided to lie anyway.

'Good,' I said simply. 'Really good.'

'Right,' she replied sceptically. Lydia Martin was probably one of the only people I couldn't lie to successfully.

'I mean, sure, it's different,' I carried on pointlessly. I wasn't sure it was her I was still trying to convince. 'But not in a bad way.'

'But not in a good way?' she filled in. I frowned. I wasn't sure how to answer. I was certain that things between Derek and I had not become worse since Beacon Hills, but then again, we weren't really together that much in Beacon Hills. Our relationship had seemed to go from indifferent to caring in a matter of seconds. What was it that had changed to make us go from arguing enemies to living together? I concluded in my head that I must've never really hated him and ignored Lydia's question.

'When do you start senior year?' I asked. I could hear her sigh at my lack of response to her previous question before she replied.

'Next week,' she replied. 'Kira's getting back from New York tomorrow.'

'Was she there the whole summer?' I asked, a little jealous of the Kitsune. When I was thirteen I had run away from my foster parents house in the hopes of making it to New York. My plan had failed miserably when I used my foster mother's stolen cell phone to call a cab, never making it out of the town before the police caught up to me. I was grounded for three months and was made to write a letter of apology to the Sheriff's department for wasting their time.

'Pretty much,' she said. 'I spent most of my summer translating the bestiary. We still haven't figured out was Jordan is.'

'Jordan, huh?' I questioned with a smirk on my face. 'Since when were you two on first name basis?' She caught the suggestive undertones to my question, huffing down the phone.

'There's nothing going on between me and Parrish,' she said and I noticed how after calling her out on it, she had refrained from using his first name again.

'Right, just like how there was nothing going on between me and Derek,' I said and I imagined her rolling her eyes at me.

'I'm not going to humour you, Alex,' she said bluntly and a chuckled down the phone. The line fell silent for a moment and a question popped into my head that I had been meaning to ask since I answered the phone.

'Did you call just for a chat?' I asked, the tone of my voice indicating that I was expecting her call to have somewhat of a morbid agenda.

'Yes, Alex,' she said, putting emphasis on the 'yes'. 'I can call you even why there's no crisis.' The way she said the words made it sound like they were obvious. 'And I wanted to make sure you still get your girl time. Do you have any girl friends?' I rolled my eyes. She tended to mother me on occasion.

'Yes, Lydia,' I said, my mind floating to Marty who I calculated would be at an afternoon class at that time.

'Good,' she responded chirpily before excusing herself, saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

I placed my phone back on the table once the line had gone dead, turning my attention back to the punching bag. I felt a little calmer knowing that everything was good and well in Beacon Hills – it had been for the safety of the residence that I had moved out of the town.

At the time, I felt a sense of relief wash over me as I regarded Beacon Hills as an aspect of my life that I needn't worry about. At that time, I didn't know how wrong would be.

'That wasn't fair!' I grumbled at the green eyed wolf as he pulled me up off of the floor.

'And you always play by the rules?' he asked sarcastically. We had been training for about half an hour ever since Derek had come back to the apartment and found me working out. I was still in my sports bra and leggings and Derek had taken off his leather jacket, his white t shirt straining over his muscular chest.

'No,' I said, my arms snaking around his neck. 'But I like it when _I'm_ the one breaking them.' He raised an eyebrow at me, his signature smirk spreading across his face. I pressed my lips to his, hands pulling down a little on his neck to that I could reach. I pulled away before the kiss could progress into anything more heated.

I smiled up at the wolf in front of me and resumed my workout. However, when Derek didn't join me I turned my head back to him. I was met with a thoughtful gaze as he considered me. He had something he wanted, no, needed to say.

'Alex, there's something I need to talk to you about,' he said and his more forceful tone than usual jolted me a little. I sighed heavily.

Derek -,' I started, almost pleadingly.

'No Alex. I know you don't wanna talk about your nightmares, okay, and I get that,' he said almost sympathetically. 'But that, last night, that wasn't just a nightmare.'

'It was,' I argued but I didn't expect him to believe the words I spoke if I didn't believe them myself.

'You were bleeding,' he replied bluntly.

'I healed,' I shot back.

'You dug your fingernails a half inch into your palms and -!'

'Stop!' I yelled suddenly, before instantly regretting my outburst. He didn't flinch, only looked at me as if he expected it, which I found disturbing. He sighed.

'I know there's something going on here Alex,' he said. 'Something besides the nightmares.' Guilt twanged in my stomach. 'I've known for a while.' His last sentence made my breath hitch in my throat. When I didn't say anything he carried on. 'I won't make you tell me but I can't help you if you won't.' He spoke as if he were begging me for money. 'Please let me help.'

I shook my head slowly, trying to find the words. 'It's nothing,' I said. He didn't look convinced. 'Look, I'm just a bit stressed at the moment. Readjusting is weird,' I said gesturing to the apartment. Derek chuckled a little.

'Are you sure?' he asked.

'Yeah, I'm sure.' I plastered on a reassuring smile for him which I was pretty sure was convincing. He approached me, planting a kiss on my forehead before he excused himself to have a shower.

However, just after he left the room, the sound of his cell phone ringing echoed through the apartment. I called Derek back, pulling his phone from the discarded leather jacket from the floor. But, I was not expecting to see the name scrawled across his screen at I saw.

ARGENT

I panicked internally for a second before flinging the phone back to the jacket just as Derek was re-entering the room. He rushed over to the phone, though no element of surprise seemed to wash over him at the sight of the name on his phone.

'I gotta take this,' Derek said, starting to head for the door. I shrugged.

'Who is it?' I asked, the dread of his answer already consuming me

'It's just Cora,' he said, the lie smooth and clearly previously rehearsed. 'I'll be back in ten.' The door shut with a dull thud once he had left and just like that, I realised that Derek and I had a lot more in common than I had first thought: we could both break the rules.

 **AN: So sorry that this has taken so long to update. Hope you liked it anyhow.**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	5. Chapter 4 - Toxic

This was it. This was what was going to kill me. Not a blade or a bullet. Not an assassin.

It was the lies. Which, for me, was a surprising revelation seeing as lying was so ingrained into my everyday life. It had been since I could remember – how else would I have been able to keep my ability a secret all these years?

More specifically, it was the lies to Derek that were slowly going to kill me, along with the lies I knew he was telling me. I could see it in his eyes. They would no longer connect with mine. Sure, he would make eye contact, but something was missing, like he was holding back. The lies were going to swallow both of us up whole with no mercy.

The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became. Why was I the one feeling guilty? Lies of omission weren't nearly as bad as what he had been doing. He had lied to my face, and even more so, I assumed since he had been talking to Argent that this meant he was up to something. This thought didn't make me feel any better: this could only mean that whatever he was up to was so bad he couldn't even tell me about it.

* * *

My fingers drummed on the coffee cup as I continued to mumble meaningless words to the blue haired girl in front of me in response to her current monologue.

'Are you okay?' Marty asked suddenly, her brow furrowed. I shook my head.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' I said, taking another sip of my coffee. 'Why?'

'You just seem pretty absentminded,' she said causally. 'Something on your mind?' I folded my legs under myself nervously. 'Alex?' Marty pressed, a knowing look in her eyes. I sighed.

'Derek's been hiding something from me,' I said, missing out the part about how I had also been lying to him.

'What? What's he hiding? She asked incredulously.

'I don't know. He got a phone call the other day and he lied about who it was,' I admitted.

'You think he's cheating on you?!' She gasped, not quite being able to believe what she was hearing.

'No, no,' I said quickly. 'I don't think it's anything like that.'

'Are you sure?' she asked, sounding worried. 'Was it a girl?'

'No it was a guy,' I told her. 'Actually it was the brother of his ex-girlfriend who burned his house down like 10 years ago,' I mumbled as a side comment.

'Wait, what?' She asked confusedly. 'Derek's house got burnt down by his girlfriend?!' I bit my lip, kicking myself for saying too much.

'Don't worry about it,' I said, taking another sip of my coffee. I was glad I held back the fact that then Derek's uncle had murdered her and then earlier that year she had come back from the dead and tried to kill the rest of us. As a were-jaguar. _When did life get this complicated?_

'Why don't you just _ask_ him about it?' Marty suggested softly. I looked at her like she had just shot me in the leg.

'Yeah, right,' I shot back sarcastically. 'That would end well.'

'Look, Alex, I'm just trying to help,' she sighed. 'If you don't talk to him, this won't end.' I didn't reply to her comment, simply digesting her final sentence in my mind.

 _If I don't talk to him, this won't end._ I wanted this to end, right? I wanted us to be honest with each other. I knew in my head that what I really wanted was for him to be honest to me and to carry on not telling him about Seattle. But I knew from the way he now looked at me that that was no longer an option. Not if I wanted to keep him by my side. Not if I didn't want to lose him.

* * *

I quickened my step on the sidewalk, the cool wind tangling my hair a silent relief. It was hot today, unsurprising considering it was August. I passed the bell tower on the way to the ATM, the elegance of it reminding me why I had chosen this town as the first place for Derek and I to live in. It was near the city, but not close enough that there were too many people around on a Wednesday afternoon.

When I had once been a high-schooler, Wednesdays had been my favourite day of the week. It was the day I had cross country practice which, surprisingly, I used to love. It was the day my foster mom worked late so I could sneak out in the evenings to see my friends. It was the one day I could skip math class unnoticed because the teacher was incompetent.

I shrugged off my leather jacket once I made it to the ATM, the heat of the sun practically forcing the fabric off of my body. I slid in the debit card, punching the numbers of Derek's pin and withdrawing seventy dollars. At first, I had felt awkward relying on Derek to provide the money for our rent but he had insisted. I hadn't exactly been able to hold a job over the last two years. Sure, in my early teens I'd worked at the local café, but recently I'd been living off the small amount Dylan had left for me. It was mostly gone now. I pocketed the cash, counting it first to make sure it would be enough to pay Crabby Paul later that day.

Although I knew that the town Derek and I were in was a safe one, there was something about being out in the open that made me nervous. I wondered why. Before Beacon Hills, I had lived on my own nearly two years and I never recalled being as anxious as I was in that moment. It seemed that every way I turned there was something else to watch out for, something else that might be a threat. I feared that maybe it was _because_ of Beacon Hills that I felt that way. The truth was that I felt pathetic. I felt pathetic having nightmares in front of Derek. I felt pathetic having to rely on others so much now that I couldn't go a few hours without worrying if they would be okay. Although I didn't want to admit it, they had made me weak. Scott, Stiles, Derek, Lydia, Kira. Even Parrish. They had managed to strip the defensive walls I had put up to guard myself and now I felt I was an open gate, a car that couldn't be locked that just sits there waiting to be stolen.

I felt vulnerable. And I hated it. I turned from the machine, my shoulder colliding with another person's as my jacket crumpled on the floor.

'Oh crap, sorry!' the girl said, her southern accent pulling from the streets and back to high school.

 _(five years ago)_

 _'Oh crap, sorry!' I heard a voice say as I tumbled to the ground. I landed on my wrist awkwardly, cursing myself when I heard snapping of bone. I shielded the deformed bone from the girl standing above me as I waited for it to heal. The joint ached for only a second after the fracture was erased._

 _'It's okay,' I replied, giving her a small smile as I pushed myself from the ground._

 _'Hey! Aren't you in my Algebra class?' she asked, tightening her blonde ponytail that sat high on her head._

 _'Yeah,' I replied, dusting myself off as I got back to my feet._

 _'I'm Maddison, by the way,' she smiled, taking a sip from her water bottle. Her face was red; she must have been running too. She extended a confident hand in my direction._

 _'Alexia,' I replied, shaking her hand briefly._

 _'You're a pretty good runner,' she complimented. I smiled nervously. I knew I was a good runner. I had a body that never fatigued, never got aches or sprains or blisters. I could sprint at my fastest for over a mile without breaking a sweat._

 _'Thanks,' I replied._

 _'We could use someone like you on the team,' she chirped before someone far away yelled her name. She looked over, waving at them to say she'd be right over. 'Come to try outs on Wednesday?' she asked, dashing off before I could reply._

 _(present day)_

The girl stood back, grabbing by jacket from the side walk and apologetically handing it back to me. I took it after a beat, my gaze transfixed on her blonde roots scraped into a high ponytail. She looked at me, then did a double take. I schooled my features, hoping she wouldn't recognise me.

'Sorry,' she said again, her broad Texan accent ringing through her vocal chords. 'I wasn't looking and-.'

'It's fine,' I replied with a tight smile, trying to avoid eye contact. I could feel her examining my face. What if she did recognise me? I was the girl who disappeared in Sophomore year. I was pretty certain I was presumed dead. But now I was face to face with a girl who had known me, the me back before all the crap. It was a strange, abrupt reminder of my past and if I was being honest I would say it was almost too much for me. I felt sick. I tried to will the bile rising in my throat to disappear. I willed myself to disappear.

'Do I know you from somewhere?' the girl, Maddison if I remembered correctly, asked, her head tilting to the side.

Yes. 'I don't think so,' I replied, trying not to seem rude as I shuffled past her and hurried down the street.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She recognised me. She must have recognised me, right? What if she told someone? What if she told the cops? Were people still looking for me? I paused on the sidewalk once I was well out of her sight. I leaned over a railing, my stomach heaving. I hadn't vomited since I was fifteen – the morning after I first died. That was the moment I realised the extent of what I was.

I pulled myself into a standing position, swallowing down the nauseous feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach. In that moment, I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout as loud as I could. But most of all, I realised I wanted Derek. I was alone in the street and I needed him, I needed _us_. I craved the relationship I knew we could have if we just got rid of all our shit. I wanted him to look at me without the anxious undertones, for him to laugh with me and for his smile to reach his eyes. I didn't want our time together to be jaded by the secrets we kept from each other – most of which came from my past. I had refrained from telling him everything about my past, and he had been okay with that. But I knew it was killing him that I wouldn't share it with him – that I wouldn't share everything with him.

I wanted to kick something. I wanted to cry for a week. I wanted to mourn the loss of a simple life.

But I couldn't. I didn't want to be weak. I had to cut myself off from the things that made me weak, starting with my past. I decided, then and there, that I wouldn't go to Seattle. In fact, I wanted to march back to the loft right away and burn the address. Scott said I would find what I was looking for there, but maybe I needed to stop searching for answers and started holding onto the things I already had. Things like Derek.

Within half an hour, I was back in the apartment building. I took the stairs, not wanting to risk the lift. Once I had made it to our floor I jammed the keys into the lock, not being able to get in fast enough. I sprinted into the bedroom, my hand flying into the dresser draw to pull out the address. I rummaged for maybe two minutes before I turning the whole thing out onto the bed, my hands desperately grappling for the address.

'Looking for this?' His voice was a mixture of anger, confusion and disappointment. It was like a dagger in my chest. I turned around, my breath hitching in my throat when I saw the address in between Derek's fingers. His jaw was tight. I didn't say a word. 'What is this?' he asked, his voice hard.

'It's nothing,' I replied desperately, moving to take it from his hand. He moved it out of the way so I couldn't.

'Alex,' he warned. His accusing tone lit a fire under my anger. The fuel was his lies as well as my own.

'It's a puppy,' I said coldly. He looked a little surprised by my change in tone. 'What does it look like?'

'It looks like something pretty important for you to be this upset about it,' he commented, being careful not to raise his voice. 'What's it for?'

'Deaton got it for me,' I admitted after a pregnant pause. 'He said I would find what I'm looking for if I went there.' Derek's brow furrowed.

'And what? You were just gonna head off there without telling me?' he said, his voice starting to raise.

'I hadn't decided whether I was going to go yet,' I mumbled. He shook his head at me.

'I don't understand you sometimes,' he said.

'Hey! Don't get mad at me, I'm allowed to decide things for myself!' I retorted.

'Alex, I'm not mad,' he said with a sigh. 'I just wish you would be honest with me.' I snapped.

'Are you seriously trying to talk to be about honesty?' I asked. My voice could cut iron.

'What's that's supposed to mean?' he asked, faking innocence. I rolled my eyes.

'For fucks sake, Derek, I'm not an idiot,' I said. 'I know about Argent.' Derek's eyes widened for a second before he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. He knew his cover was blown. 'So unless you two are best buds now which I'm assuming not, can I ask what you've been helping him with?' Derek sighed, his eyes squeezing shut for a second.

'I've been helping him look for Kate,' he admitted, his eyes on the ground.

'How long?' I asked quietly. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Alex, that doesn't-.'

'How. Long,' I repeated, my arms folded tightly across my body. He sighed again in resignation.

'Almost three months,' he said, his eyes looking up to meet mine. He knew I was pissed.

'Three months,' I mumbled, the taste of the words bitter on my tongue. 'You've been helping out Argent for three months?!' Derek rolled his eyes in an irritated way.

'Get off your high horse, Alex, you haven't exactly been the epitome of truth in this relationship,' he said flippantly. I scoffed.

'You're an ass,' I said bitterly. He rolled his eyes at me again as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again.

'Alex,' he started, shaking his head at me. 'What are we even doing?' I looked up at him, my brow furrowed.

'What are you talk-?'

'I'm mean this,' he said, gesturing to the dimly lit loft. 'This isn't working.'

'We're trying to live our lives,' I replied a little icily. 'Trying to be normal.'

'Normal is all you ever talk about. News flash, Alex, we're not normal!' He was practically shouting now. 'I'm a werewolf, Alex, and God only knows what you are. We can't have normal!'

'Why did you come with me then, huh?' I asked, my eyes starting to water as I screamed at him. 'Why did you leave Beacon Hills if you didn't want this to work?'

'I wanted it to work, Alex, believe me, I wanted this,' he replied. 'But we can't have it, not like this.'

'So what?' I asked. 'Do you wanna move out? Is that it?' I regretted the question as soon as I'd asked it.

'No, Alex,' he replied. 'I'm saying something has to change.' He took a breath as I stared at him, unsure of how to reply. 'I don't know what I can do to make you happy.' His last sentence was the gentlest he'd spoke since I'd got back to the apartment. I couldn't help the tears that brimmed in my eyes and I didn't even bother to try and brush them away as I felt a couple of them slip down my cheeks. He made me happy, I wasn't sure what I'd do without him. But now I felt like a burden, like a weight I was forcing him to carry. It was as if we were in a deep tank of water and he was carrying me above the water, only his head was below the surface. I couldn't do that to him anymore, but I wasn't sure how to stop.

'I'm not going to go to Seattle,' I said quietly, my eyes on the ground.

'What?' he asked, shocked and somehow, a little disappointed. 'Why?'

'I saw someone in town today,' I told him, 'someone from my high school.' He frowned.

'Do you think they recognised you?' he asked.

'I'm not sure,' I said. 'But it just made me realise: I'm terrified of the past catching up with me,' I told him, my voice hesitant. 'I don't want any tethers to it, not to Seattle, not to my high school…' He sighed.

'I know you don't,' he paused, considering his next words carefully. 'But I don't think you have a choice.' I wanted to argue with him, convince him he was wrong. He wasn't. The room felt heavy in the heat, the tension of the shouting match still very much clinging to every atom in the air.

Derek turned stiffly and for a moment, I thought he would walk out the door. Before I had a chance to find out, the irritating ringing of my cell echoed through the silent apartment. I left it for a few rings, not sure whether it would be appropriate answer that.

'Could you get that, please,' Derek said curtly, clearly still irritated by the argument. I rummaged for my phone in my leather jacket, my brow furrowing in confusion when I saw the caller ID.

'Malia?'

* * *

 **AN: AHH I'm so sorry it's been so long! I've just been super busy along with a bad case of writer's block. NIGHTMARE. But I'm back now so hopefully will be updating more regularly from now on.**

 **Also, I will be updating the previous chapter as somehow a small chunk didn't copy in properly when I added it. (only a small section from Alex's phone call with Lydia).**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought and happy Halloween! Much love x**


	6. Chapter 5 - Decisions Decisions

I spotted the greying man from across the river. He was stood on the bridge, palm resting on the railing as he stared at the glistening water. The sun was hot that day, it being the middle of the summer, but I had still decided to wear my leather jacket. He had his back to me so he couldn't see me approaching, but I thought that maybe he still knew I was there.

As I crossed the road, I thought about the events of the past couple of days, all the different strings and webs that had brought him here. I thought about Malia's phone call; how it had interrupted Derek and I's argument. I remembered the were-coyote's slightly desperate voice, though when I had answered I knew it had to be something important – why else would he have contacted me of all people? I think primarily, though we had barely spoken to each other during my time in Beacon Hills, she felt I could understand her. We were both searching for answers to questions we didn't understand. We both had questions about our parents – where we came from.

When she'd asked me for help in finding her mother I wasn't sure what to say. Her father hadn't exactly turned out to be the best guy in the world. But even so, something within me couldn't say no to her. Her hunger for the truth about her family was almost as great as my own.

After telling me all she knew about her mother, the Desert Wolf, I had agreed to help her, but _I_ needed help. After little persuasion, Derek agreed – she was his niece after all, a concept I still struggled to believe, although she definitely did have a spark of Hale in her. Once Derek was on board, we needed a lead, something neither of us had any clue about. With a sigh, Derek had suggested the help of Chris Argent. He had already explained to me how Argent was pretty busy trying to find Kate, but if there was one team of hunters that was good at finding people, it was the Calaveras. Argent had agreed to give us all the intel he had on the Desert wolf, but refused to do it over the phone.

This brought me to where I was now, approaching the older hunter from across the bridge.

'Is there a reason we couldn't do this at my place?' I asked as I leant my back against the railing. He kept his eyes on the water, his eyes squinted as he watched the light dance off the rippled surface.

'Why be inside for such a beautiful day?' he asked, turning to face me. 'You've been kept in the dark long enough, don't you think?' I arched an eyebrow at his question, the metaphor not lost on me. I guessed that was his irritating excuse for an apology.

'Do you have something for me?' I asked, choosing not to engage with his direction of conversation. He huffed silently through his nose, taking a moment to decide on his next move before he nodded.

'Here,' he said, pulling an envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket. 'This is all I have.' I took it from him, pulling it open and taking out the paper.

'A mobile number?' I frowned, 'is that it?'

'It's a man who works closely with the Desert Wolf. He'll have information.' I looked up at him, my expression flat. 'It's from a reliable source.'

'You mean the Calaveras?' I asked sceptically. He gave me a pointed look, telling me to lose the attitude. 'What am I supposed to do with this?'

'You're smart, Alex, I'm sure you'll think of something,' he replied. I huffed a little at his vote of confidence that didn't really make me feel any better. I took it anyway, placing the number back into the envelope and putting it safely in my pocket.

'Good luck in Seattle,' he said after a moment, a knowing look in his eyes. I stared at him.

'Did Derek?'

'The animal doctor, actually,' he said. Deaton. I should have known Scott wouldn't have been the only one he told. But why tell Chris Argent? 'He thought you might need the help,' he said, guessing my question. He looked amused for a second, probably from my slightly shocked expression. 'Don't worry, you don't need it.' I wanted to argue.

'It doesn't matter anyway,' I started. 'I'm not going.'

'He said you might say that,' Argent responded. I didn't feel like sticking around to discuss the omnipresent issue that was Seattle at that moment. Besides, he had a were-jaguar to catch. He stretched out a hand for me to shake, a way of signalling the mutual trust between us. At first, I was hesitant, but after a moment I grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake, nodding my head to express my gratefulness.

'I won't be able to come at this short notice again, Alex,' he said, 'if at all.' I nodded. 'I hope you don't make it a habit.' The way he spoke was somewhere between a drill sergeant and a concerned uncle.

I turned to go, my boots clicking on the cobbled street over the bridge. The sky was beginning to cloud over and the definition between the light and the shadows seemed to disappear.

'Alex,' Argent called from behind me. I turned only half way to look back to him. His aged eyes met my green ones, his stare indicating the importance of what he was about to say. 'If you do go to Seattle,' he started, 'then I want you to do something for me.' He paused and I waited expectantly. 'Remember _who_ you are,' he said, and I imagined a next line of dialogue in my head: _not what you are._ He didn't say it, but I knew it was what he meant.

He held my gaze for a moment longer, his face contorted into the concerned way it did too often. I wondered how many times he had laughed since the death of his daughter. His gaze held purpose though, and I felt compelled to nod in agreement, though I didn't understand his request. And then I was gone, my back turned as we both went our separate ways.

* * *

The brief encounter so early in the day left me more irritable than usual and I knew Derek could tell. His were-wolf abilities didn't just stretch to strength and agility, but to senses and intuition. Even so, it didn't exactly take supernatural abilities to figure out what was wrong. The fight Derek and I'd had was still very much at the forefront of both of our conscious minds, although neither one of us was prepared to do anything about it. However, we both knew that the still-open-wound would eventually heal. They only question was whether or not it would leave a scar.

'Should we call it?' Derek asked as he examined the numbers on the paper.

'And say what? 'Hey, can you tell us how to find your were-whatever, assassin boss?'' I quipped, perhaps a little too harshly than needed.

'Maybe we could track the GPS?' he suggested after huffing. He seemed exhausted and I wasn't sure if it was with me. Probably. I piped up at his idea, trying to seem more enthusiastic than I felt.

'Would that work?' I asked.

'It should,' Derek said. His eyes grew cloudy as if he was remembering something before he nodded. 'When Kate was holding me in the basement under the Hale house I had Scott's phone. Stiles used the GPS to find me.'

'So can we use my laptop?' I asked, starting to feel like we might actually have a chance at finding this guy.

'No,' he said with a sigh. 'We need the user name and password.'

'Perfect,' I mumbled sarcastically. We sat in thought for a moment as I chewed on my bottom lip. Suddenly, an idea came into my head. 'What about the cops?' I asked. 'Wouldn't they be able to track it?'

'I dunno, Alex,' Derek said as he shook his head. 'How would they do it without the password?'

'But they do this kind of stuff all the time, right?' I asked. 'I'm sure they have an override.'

'Even if they can, how will we get them to do it?' he asked. I smirked at him as I tossed him the car keys.

'Leave that to me.'

* * *

We pulled up outside the precinct and I hopped out of the car straight away and crossed onto the sidewalk.

'You sure you wanna do this alone?' he asked, his concern for me thinly vailed.

'I'll be fine,' I said, glancing over to the station. I spotted the deputy behind the desk through the glass doors. He was moderately good looking, though not really my type. Derek glared at me from the driver's seat as I unbuttoned the top button of my white shirt and ruffled my hair in the car window. I smirked at him when I saw his scowling expression and leant through the window to peck him on the cheek.

'Don't worry, this shouldn't take long,' I told him and he smiled sarcastically at me. With one last look, I pushed through the glass doors of the station and made my way to the desk.

'Hi,' I said to the deputy, giving him my widest smile. He looked up at the sound of my voice and his cheeks flushed when his eyes met mine. He returned my smile.

'What can I do for you, miss?' he asked sweetly. There was something about him that reminded me of Parrish, perhaps because he looked too young to have the job he had. He would be like putty in my hands.

'I was wondering if you'd be able to track my cell phone?' I asked, winding a lock of hair around my finger. 'I recently moved here and I can't seem to find it.' He looked sceptical for a second before he smiled shyly.

'Uh sure,' he said, clearly seeing the request as odd. He stood from his position and showed me through to an office. He sat behind the desk and I joined him, 'accidently' brushing his arm with my own. I could practically see the goose bumps forming under his while shirt. 'Do you have the number?' he asked. I handed over the piece of paper with the number scrawled across it. I realised then that I should have rewritten it – the handwriting was distinctly unattractive. 'And the user name and password?' I sighed loudly, hoping he wouldn't hear the obvous fakery.

'That's the thing,' I said, biting my lip. 'I can't remember them.'

'I'm sorry, miss, I can't track the GPS without the user name and password,' he replied as expected.

'Are you sure?' I asked, trying to sound as desperate-damsel-in-distress-y as possible.

'Sorry,' he apologised. 'You could try contacting your provider?' he suggested. 'They could reset it for you.'

'I just really needed to get this done now,' I said. 'Are you sure there's no way for you to override it, officer?' I asked, practically batting my eyelids at him. I felt nauseas. He thought for a moment, weighing up his options in his mind.

'Okay,' he said finally. 'I'll see what I can do.'

'Perfect,' I said, popping the 'p' with my glossy lips.

'It might take a while though,' he said, almost as an afterthought. 'I can send you the results if you don't want to wait around.'

'Sounds great,' I said, leaning against the desk.

'And since your number isn't gonna be working for a while, do you think I could get your email?' he asked. I raised an eyebrow at him suggestively and he realised his mistake. 'For the GPS,' he added quickly.

I smiled at him, writing down my current email which was, of course, under a fake name and handing it to him. 'Here,' I said. 'I look forward to hearing from you.' With that, I turned on my heel and strutted out of the office. Job done.

* * *

Derek sat at my laptop as I busied myself with things around the apartment. We had been talking for a little while before we had lapsed back into silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but it did feel somewhat uncomfortable.

I poured myself a coffee and then another, walking to the bed where Derek was sitting and handed him a mug. I perched myself next to him, my legs folded underneath me whilst his fell over the edge of the bed. I wanted to lean into him, to rest my head on his shoulder while we waited for the email, but I didn't. I couldn't. We had barely touched each other apart from the occasional kiss on the cheek since the fight. I wanted to be close to him, to feel his warmth, to feel his comfort. I wondered if he felt the same way about me.

I watched him out of my peripherals as I sipped my coffee next to him, quietly observing him as he glanced at the screen. Despite the distance between us, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of the last few days. Although they had been difficult to say the least, the felt like _us._ The real us. The crazy, impossible healing, werewolf mystery solving, intoxicating us. The days weren't normal days, not to the real world. But they were our normal, and I had forgotten how much I had missed it.

'I like this,' I said absentmindedly as we waited for the email to come through. Derek sent me a funny look. 'I mean you and me,' I rephrased. 'Teaming up to fight the bad guys.'

'And that's not what we were doing back in Beacon Hills?' he asked. I smiled.

'I mean like figuring out stuff, you know? Like CSI detectives,' I said. He chuckled.

'Is that what you wanted to be when you were little?' he teased. 'A detective?' Now it was my turn to laugh.

'No,' I said as I shook my head. It felt good to chat to him, to laugh with him. Lately, we so rarely had moments like these and I wanted them to last forever. 'I wanted to be a lawyer.'

'Really?' Derek asked, a little shocked but mostly amused. 'Because they're good at getting people out of sticky situations?' I rolled my eyes at him but only in a playful way.

'No,' I said again. 'When I was like eleven, I used to be obsessed with this lawyer programme,' I told him. 'Bouncing around foster homes for most of my childhood, I always felt like I never got to decided anything for myself, you know?' I said. 'I always felt powerless. But these lawyers in this programme just seemed like they had so much power,' I continued. 'I guess I just wanted to be able to make my own decisions for a change.'

He smiled sadly at me, but it also held a glimpse of encouragement. I felt closer to him now, our close proximity on the bed making me want him even more. He stared at me for a second, before he gently pressed his lips to mine, the pressure so light that it felt like a butterfly hand landed on them. I responded, pressing my lips back against his, our fingers intertwining on the duvet. I felt a warm calloused hand brush my cheek, his thumb tucking under my chin to angle it higher.

He pulled away for a second, his forehead resting against mine as he kept his eyes closed. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Seattle,' I whispered. I wasn't sure why I decided that that was the right moment to apologise, but I couldn't stop myself from saying it. I was on the verge of saying more when his lips caught mine again, silencing me in the best way. This time, the kiss felt more passionate, more desperate and I almost needed to pull away and catch my breath. I didn't though, and neither did he, not even the laptop screen lighting up with a new email causing us to break the kiss.

Eventually, we pulled away, my bottom lip between my teeth as a small smile graced my lips. Although we both desperately wanted to fall back into our own little worlds, we couldn't. We turned out attention towards the laptop that was now balanced precariously on the edge of the bed. I clicked on the email, the GPS address filling the screen.

'Yakima, Washington,' I read. 'That's at least a day's drive.'

'Your right,' Derek said. 'And you know what? It's 150 miles out of Seattle,' he added. My heart stopped.

'I already told you, I'm not going, okay?' I sighed, getting up from the bed and ready to stalk away. I was surprised when Derek grabbed my hand, pulling me back.

'I know, and it's your decision,' he said calmly. 'But I think you'll regret it if you don't go,' he said. I thought about it for a moment, both lists of pros and cons seeming endless as I tried to list them out in my head. Finally, I shook my head, hoping I wouldn't regret my decision.

'Okay,' I said, my face hard but determined. 'Let's go to Seattle.'

* * *

 **AN: Next stop, Washington!**

 **If your a fan of Supernatural, check out my new OC story :)**

 **Hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you thought. Much love x**


	7. Chapter 6 - Seattle

I stood nervously on the concrete doorstep, a chilly fist hovering over the wooden door. Derek had offered to accompany me to the mysterious address that had occupied my mind for the last 5 months, but in the end, I had told him I would go alone. Besides, he had a lot to occupy himself with. We decided he would do best to check out the GPS address in Yakima and, even though it was a long drive, it was what was needed to be done. This was something I had to do alone and he was more than capable of handling things by himself.

I kept my breathing steady as I stood, my attire consisting of my usual black jeans and leather jacket, and if course, my favourite boots. I wondered if I should have dressed in a less badass and standoffish way, but after deliberating the subject for a while, I decided not to. What I wore didn't matter. All that mattered was who are what lay in the house in front of me and how they related to me. I prepared myself, psyching myself up to face whatever the next few moments had instore for me.

I knocked on the door.

A moment of complete silence passed. I could hear shuffling on the other side of the door, the barrier keeping me from 'finding what I was looking for' (as Deaton put it) now only a thin piece of varnished wood.

There was a click. And then the door swung open.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but what stood in front of me certainly wasn't it.

A child, no older than 4 or 5 peered out from behind the door, her cheek pressed against the frame so she could see me. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white and her eyes were a dazzling blue. I froze for a second, taken aback in sudden self-consciousness at the realisation I may have misread the address.

But this was it, right? Hadn't I checked the address at least 5 times before I approached the house?

I wondered who the child could be, my mind frantically coming up with possibilities in how she could be at all related to my situation, and possibly how she could be related to me.

I quickly thought back to my childhood. Was my hair ever that blonde? I didn't think so. And my eyes? I was pretty sure all babies were born with blue eyes, but what was the age at which they started to differentiate themselves from everyone else's?

Realising I had been staring at the girl for longer than appropriate I snapped myself out of my thoughts and tried to smile at the girl to make the situation less uncomfortable (for myself more than her).

'Hi,' I said in a voice I hoped was both kind and polite. She didn't reply. I tried again, this time bending down so I was more at her eye level. ''Is your Mom or Da-'

'Daddy!' she shouted after gasping the way children do at anything remotely out of the ordinary. Then she jammed her hands over her ears, as if there was a noise so deafening she had to protect her eardrums from bursting.

I stood up abruptly, the girl's cry quickly being replied to with a concerned 'Eliza?' The voice sounded male. Footsteps were approaching from inside the house. 'Who's at the door, honey?'

The door swung open to reveal the man. Noticing her father, the girl gasped again and turned around, launching herself at his legs and throwing her arms around his waist. The force wasn't enough to knock him down, but he did take a step back, chuckling to himself as he ruffled his daughter's hair.

I took in his form, his features, his attire, scanning him for any sign of threat. He wore a blue shirt, not a smart work shirt but one of those shirts you've had for years that you might wear on a lazy day at home. It had a feint but obvious orange stain down the front, I guessed either from cheap poster paints or pasta source. His jeans were ripped in an unstylish way, showing they were worn through and not bought that way.

I took in his face last. His eyes were a similar blue to his daughter's, but were dulled by the heavy bags under his eyes. It was strange. His features were fairy young, and I would have guessed him to be in his late thirties. But those eyes. They were old eyes in a way similar to how I imagined mine would look from a stranger's perspective. They reminded me of Derek's eyes too, and Chris Argent's eyes, and Sheriff Stilinski's and Scott's and in fact anyone who I'd ever met who had suffered tremendous loss or been through an ordeal that had scarred them so deeply it may never repair. Even Peter Hale's. It was the only physical tell that I knew of. It was as if the eyes contained a snapshot of the worst events of a person's life. That was the thing about eyes. The mind can try to forget, to move on, but the eyes can never un-see. A house fire. The death of an ill wife. A murdered friend. I wondered who this man in front of me may have lost. Or what scars may be hidden under his friendly fatherly demeanour.

He looked at me, then seemed to somehow look again. Then he shook his head. It was only a small movement, but it caught me off guard. It was as if a wave of recognition flushed through him before his brain told him, 'no it can't be.' It was strange. The feeling rushed over me at the same time.

I knew then that I was at the right address.

'Hi,' he greeted. 'Can I help you?' I froze. What was my story again?

'Hi um...' I words wouldn't form in my mouth; my brain wouldn't function. This never happened to me. Maybe I could just come clean - try to explain? I unconsciously felt the folded piece of paper in my back pocket, along with Argent's 9mm. Not an option.

'Hi,' I started again. 'I'm from the university and was wondering if could get your opinion on property retail prices in the area,' I word vomited. That wasn't quite how I had planned it to come out. He looked a little sceptical. 'It's for my dissertation,' I added, along with an obviously forced smile.

He seemed to debate the idea in his mind for a moment before chuckling to himself slightly. I presumed he was thinking something along the lines of 'I'm gonna regret this' and 'ah what the hell.'

'Yeah, of course,' he said, manoeuvring his daughter out of the way so he could open the door wide enough to let me in. 'I'm James by the way,' he said, stretching out a hand for me to shake. I panicked.

'Lydia Martin,' I said, cursing myself on the inside. I followed him into the house, noting how he watched me intently as I crossed the threshold and visible relaxed when I'd made it through the door. _Weird._ I trailed him through to the kitchen as we chatted a little, mostly about why I decided to major in economics at the university of Washington. I asked myself the same question as I rambled about retail and micro and macro. I was glad he didn't seem to know much about it either.

He led me through to the kitchen where there was a large island with bar stools. He gestured for me to sit in one as he went over to the sink, Eliza still clutching at his shirt. 'I'm sorry my wife is working,' he said, 'she knows much more about this than me. Coffee?'

'Black,' I replied, nodding in thanks. He returned with two full mugs, handing one across to me. I needed to figure out why I was here. Why had Deaton sent me here? And most of all, why was there some kind of buried recollection we had of each other.

'So… Lydia, where are you from?' he asked.

'I'm originally from Kansas,' I said. This was the truth as far as I knew it. That's what all my forms said when I was out into foster care. 'But I grew up in Wyoming.'

'Kansas, really?' He remarked. 'I lived there for about 7 years.' He seemed to go somewhere far away. 'That was a long time ago.' I cleared my throat and he was back in the room. 'My wife did Economics at Stanford, you know,' he said, trying to get back on topic when econ was the last thing I wanted to discuss. I nodded enthusiastically anyhow. 'I think she may have some papers in the basement.' He gestured towards the door which I assumed led to the room in question.

'That would be great,' I smiled.

We left Eliza playing in the kitchen and James led me to the basement. The room was stuffed, boxes piled high filled with documents and photographs. What alarmed me, however, were the cages filled with weapons. There were knives, daggers, crossbows and about nine different types of guns. I stopped short and he turned and chuckled at my shocked expression.

'I uh, I used to sell firearms to the authorities,' he said. It was a lie. That much was obvious. As an expert, myself, I didn't find it difficult to spot a liar. Firearms dealer was code for hunter in my world. I'd be surprised if my coffee wasn't laced with wolfsbane and the walls filled with mountain ash.

'Here we are,' I heard him say and I turned to where he was holding out a stack of paper. I looked at it, confused. 'My wife's dissertation?' he filled in for me and my eyes widened as I took the booklet.

'Right, thanks,' I said. He looked at me sceptically but didn't say anything, only walking back into the kitchen.

I scanned the room for any clues to point me in the direction of sense. I wished then that I had talked to Deaton before I left, at least to be able to ask him why the hell he had sent me all the way to Washington into a hunter's home. The girl, Eliza, was now sitting on the floor, a mess of paper and Crayola scattered around her. She tensed as I entered the room, the movement almost invisible. It was then that I noticed a small rectangular picture frame on the counter. 'More coffee?' James asked and I absentmindedly told him yes, though I wasn't really paying attention.

I stared at the picture. It was of a group of four men. They looked to be around my age, some younger, some older. The photo was natural, the four of them chatting and laughing with one another. It was clear they were great friends. My eyes were drawn straight to the one on the far right. His eyes were lowered, his expression caught in the moment right before you break into laughter, though his teeth were already revealed under his grinning lips. He appeared much younger than when I had met him, but his blue eyes and sandy blonde hair was unmistakable.

It was Dylan.

I held my breath. In over three years, the only time I had seen his face was in my nightmares. I looked over the other faces. The next one along was a younger version of James, the man I had just met. It struck me then why he had appeared familiar to me. The family resemblance between him and Dylan was as obvious as if it had slapped me in the face.

I was no longer holding my breath; I was forcing the air into my lungs and trying to keep myself upright. I focused on the picture again. The next I didn't recognise. He looked around the same age as the others but bared no resemblance to either of them. My eyes flicked to the last man, the only one who was looking out of the picture towards the viewer. He was seemingly the eldest, probably by a few years but even still, he didn't look out of place.

At first, he was unfamiliar, but then I noticed the subtle things. The curve of his jaw, his cheekbones. And of course, those eyes. If I had covered the rest of his face with my hand, I would have thought I was looking in a mirror. They were mine. He had my eyes. In the back of my mind I imagined the other three telling him it was me who had his eyes. They were the same, like James' and Eliza's were, and after a moment, I had to look away.

But the photo kept tumbling around my mind as I approached the island again. I tried to focus and not jump to conclusions. I needed to find things I knew were certain. _Look or things you know are true._

Eliza's on the floor.

Her father is making coffee.

I placed the dissertation on the counter. By Caroline Bristol, it read. I almost lost my balance.

'Here.' I jumped at the voice behind me, the man with the coffee cup jolting me out of my daze. My elbow caught his occupied hand, the scolding contents of the cup spilling over my own. I barely felt it.

'Oh crap, your hand,' he said, hurriedly placing the cup on the counter, no doubt ready to drag me to the sink and have me hold it under freezing water for longer than necessary. But when his apologetic and concerned face turned to inspect the damage, the colour drained from his face.

The skin was red and raw and starting to blister, hot steam rising from it as the coffee dripped onto the floor. And then the skin over the raw flesh and the redness melted away, leaving perfectly smooth skin. I stopped breathing. He had his own pistol that I had failed to notice cocked in my direction just as I gripped mine in my healed hand.

'Honey, go play in your room,' he called over my shoulder, his face turning in the direction to his daughter but his eyes remaining on me.

I schooled my features as the sound of small footfalls echoed out of the room. As soon as they were silent the man in front of me raised his weapon higher.

'Don't,' he said, referring to my hand that was gripped tightly around the Glock. 'Take it out slowly, release the clip and put it on the table.' His instructions were said calmly and clearly. It was almost amusing the way he thought I was threatened by his weapon, but I did was he said regardless. He wouldn't tell me anything whilst I held a gun to his head. It was strange the way he gripped his weapon. His hand was steady, like a hunter's should be, but his face gave off a different emotion. It was almost as if he was scared.

'Your turn,' I said. He didn't budge.

'You're not an Economics major,' he said like he was thinking out loud. Way to state the obvious.

'You're not a firearms salesman,' I shot back. 'Your turn,' I repeated, this time more forcefully. His gun was still pointing in my direction and I didn't like it. After a beat, he effortlessly released the clip and slid it across the counter.

'A little domesticated for a hunter, aren't you?' I quipped, arching a perfect eyebrow at him.

'I'm retired. How'd you get passed the mountain ash?' he asked quickly.

'I'm not a werewolf.'

'You're something,' he said, jaw clenched. I imagined it was hard for him to have an unknown creature in his home without a gun in his hand. 'Who are you?'

'I'm a friend if Dylan's,' I said slowly, trying to gage his reaction at the mention of what I assumed was his dead brother.

'Dylan's been dead for over 3 years,' he seethed angrily. 'Who. Are. You.' He enunciated each syllable carefully, the venom clear in every word. I considered his question, trying to think of an answer that would benefit me the most. Whoever the man with my eyes was in the picture, James had to know him. Given this and the fact that Deaton had said I would 'find what I was looking for' at this man's home, I decided to take a stab in the dark.

'I think you know,' I replied coolly, my features schooled. At my words, he released a breath as the wave of recognition I had seen earlier rushed over him again.

'My god,' he whispered, looking at me with shock. 'You're her.'

'Her?' I repeated. 'Her what? What do you know about me?'

'About you? Very little,' he said as he continued to stare at me. 'But about where you came from? I'm probably the only person left alive that knows the whole story – well, most of it anyway.' I took a breath at his words, finding the strength to ask the question that had been filling my mind for as long as I could remember.

'Do you know who my parents are?' He sighed.

'Yes.' He looked regretful, as if he already knew my next question and didn't want for me to know the answer.

'Are they alive?' I asked as strongly as I could. His shoulders slumped. In that simple movement, I had my answer. He told me anyway.

'I'm afraid not.' I closed my eyes for a second, the confirmation of what I had thought for the last twenty years finally arriving. I bit back the tears, forcing myself not to cry. 'I'm sorry, Alexia.' He knew my name, my real name. My eyes snapped to him, an unnecessarily accusatory expression on my face.

'It's Alex now,' I corrected him. He nodded carefully in understanding. 'What do you know?'

'Alex, I can tell you whatever you want,' he said, coming closer to me, his face filled with a new intensity and seriousness. 'I can tell you about your parents and about what you can do.' I waited for his explanation, wishing desperately that he would reveal all his secrets. My secrets. 'But I have to ask that once you hear what I have to say, you will stick a pin in the information and not dig any further. What I will tell you is not common knowledge.'

'You can't possibly expect me to agree to that,' I said back, my brow furrowed.

'I know,' he said regretfully, 'but I can ask.' He gestured for me to take back me seat at the island as he grabbed the photo of the four men. He sat oppositely, taking a moment before he began his story.

'Alex,' he said, my attention snapping from the figure with my eyes to the man sat before me. 'There's just one more thing I must ask,' he said and I raised an eyebrow at me. He looked apprehensive and somehow remorseful.

'What?' I asked quietly.

'Forgive me.'

* * *

 **AN: So Alex is finally in Seattle to find out about her past! All will be revealed soon!**

 **Would love to know your thoughts on the sequel so far and what you think Alex will uncover about her past in the next couple of chapters. Also, are you guys excited for Season 6 of Teen Wolf? I haven't had a chance to watch the first episode yet but super excited for it! Was it good? What did you think of it? (But no spoilers please aha ;)**

 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter, much love x**


	8. Chapter 7 - Full Disclosure

The man before me seemed to have aged ten years in his expression since I met him a little over an hour ago. He stared at the photograph of his friends, his eyes lingering on his dead brother. Dylan had never told me much about his family. I knew they had been hunters like him but had never bothered to delve any deeper. I regretted it now – maybe I could have spared myself some grief.

'In order for you to understand,' he started, a hand rubbing his chin, 'I need to start from the beginning.' He was nervous. 'Nearly thirty years ago, my uncle lost his daughter. It was terrible, we had never seen him so miserable, so angry…' He paused as he shook his head, clearly the memory at the forefront of his mind. 'It almost destroyed him.'

'What happened to her?' I asked, though I had a hunch at what might have happened. I hoped I was wrong.

'She was killed by a wendigo one night whilst with my uncle. He thought it would be a good night to teach her a bit about hunting. It wasn't a full moon – he thought they'd be safe. She was only six years old.'

'I'm sorry,' I said sincerely. Knowing that Argent's daughter had died made me more sympathetic to the family. 'What does this have to do with me?'

'The point is that a lot of things in the past became factors in determining what happened next,' he said. 'My uncle's grief, for instance, nearly drove him insane. He cared a lot about his family, including Dylan and I. He wanted us to never feel the grief that he felt when he lost his daughter. It was like he was obsessed with it.' He paused, turning the photograph he gripped in his hands around so I could see it. 'He was a science professor at the university in Kansas. That's where they all were,' he said. 'Dylan, Noah and Johnathan,' he said, pointing to each of the figures in the photo bar himself. He lingered on the last man as he gaged my reaction, my eyes glued to the man staring back at me out of the frame. 'Your father,' he said quietly, confirming what I thought.

'What about my mom?' I asked, not being able to take my eyes off the photograph.

'She was there too, but not me. I was still in high school,' he said. 'I was allowed to go in a couple of days a week though. My uncle ran a science club that we were all a part of,' he told me. 'Though we didn't learn much science.'

'It was for hunters,' I said, starting to connect the dots in my head.

'My family was quite well connected,' he said as he nodded. 'My uncle knew which students came from similar families. It was how your parents met.'

'So what? You would all sit around talking about werewolves and shoot tin cans off a wall?' I asked, my tone a little harsher than necessary. He laughed a little, but the sound was empty.

'In the beginning, that's all it was,' he said, his tone growing serious once again. 'But like I said, my uncle was obsessed.' He set the photograph back onto the table as he sighed. It was as if he didn't want to tell me the rest, but he knew he had no choice. 'He had this plan, a plan to make sure no more of his family would die. He wanted to create a new breed of hunters who would be able to protect themselves.' I blinked at him, my chest growing tighter. In that moment, I wished I had asked Derek to stay there with me. Right then, I could really have used some support. 'We thought he meant us,' he said. 'To train us to be better hunters, which he did. We didn't understand the full scale of his plan until he approached your parents.' I held my breath as he continued, the story too hard for me to believe. 'They had been together for a few years and my uncle said he needed their help.'

'Help with what?' I asked, needing to know more but unsure if I would be able to handle it.

'He needed a baby,' he said. 'Well more specifically, he needed someone to have a baby through IVF. Designer babies weren't exactly common at that time, but he had access to the university lab, and he knew how to do it.'

'And my parents just agreed to that?' I asked, my voice turning into a yell.

'They thought it would be to pick out traits to make a better hunter,' he said. 'We all did. We thought he was trying to use gene therapy to make someone more agile and fast. More intelligent.'

'You mean me,' I said. 'He was trying to make me like that.'

'Yes,' he said admittedly. 'We had no idea he was trying to give you healing abilities as well,' he told me, his voice defensive. 'We had no idea he had help.'

'Help?' I asked, raising an eyebrow.

'He couldn't do it alone,' he said. 'He found people who knew about the supernatural, people who had the power to make someone like you.'

'Who were they?' I asked but James shook his head.

'I'm not sure, some kind of doctor.' He paused for a moment, before continuing with the story. 'None of us knew any of this until after though. Not until you were born.' He stared at me as if recalling the moment twenty years ago. 'I remember the first time I saw you,' he said. 'The first time your dad held you in his-.'

'Don't,' I said, standing up from the island abruptly and folding my arms. I had no reason to be sentimental about my parents. I didn't even remember what my mother looked like.

'We didn't think he succeeded,' James said. 'But after the first few months when we'd never seen you get sick, never have a fever…' he continued. 'We knew you were different. I remember my uncle pricking you finger so he could get a blood sample and watching the wound heal in less than a second. It was like nothing I'd ever seen.'

'Yeah well, I've been through worse than just a finger pricking,' I said darkly. I still hadn't resumed my spot on the stool and I doubted I would. I couldn't sit down. I felt too agitated. 'So what happened then? Your uncle had his new miracle baby,' I said sarcastically. 'What went wrong.'

'We were supposed to keep your existence a secret,' he said. 'But Noah let it slip to the wrong person and suddenly we had fifteen other hunters on our asses.'

'Why? Why would hunters care?' I asked.

'You could heal faster than a werewolf,' he said, his tone sounding as if I had asked a stupid question. 'Whoever my uncle had help from, it wasn't something a hunter would take lightly. You were different, Alex,' he said. 'They thought you were some kind of-.'

'Abomination?' I filled in for him. He looked at me regretfully but I didn't take any notice. 'So what happened?'

'Like I said before, what I know is not common knowledge. The hunters came, they wanted to destroy you, as well as all the research,' he said. 'There was a fight, and your parents were killed. My uncle, in his madness, set the place on fire. He didn't want anyone else getting their hands on that research, or you. Over fifty people died that night, including all the hunters who were after you.'

'But not you,' I pointed out as I narrowed my eyes at him.

'Dylan and I were out of town that day. I had just gotten home from school when we heard the news.' His eyes seemed to gloss over as he thought back. 'We got there just as the fire service did, but they were too late. The authorities didn't know what to make of it, so we called some friends to come and help us clear things up.'

'Hunter friends?' I asked.

'The Argents,' he said and my eyes widened. 'They didn't know much about what had happened, and even if they did, they buried it.'

'Why?' I asked.

'Things like this aren't supposed to happen in the hunter world, Alex. It almost destroyed the reputation of hunters,' he said. 'They're supposed to protect people from the supernatural, not create it and kill thirty civilians in the process.'

'What about you and Dylan?' I asked.

'We ran,' he said. I glared at him. 'We were so afraid.'

'You mean you were cowards,' I said, beginning to grow angry again.

'I wasn't even seventeen, Alex,' he said. 'We were just kids; we didn't know what to do.'

'So you just left me?' I asked in almost a shout. He shook his head, his face contorted with guilt and regret. 'I was a baby!'

'I didn't think you'd made it,' he said. 'I didn't think you could have survived the fire. We left, we didn't mention it to anyone and we didn't talk about it for over ten years.'

'Ten years?' I asked. 'What happened after ten years?'

'We both had guilty consciences,' he said, 'especially Dylan. He stayed in the hunting game.' I frowned, wondering why James hadn't. 'He became convinced that you had survived the fire,' he said. 'He had been looking into it for a long time and discovered a load of documents to suggest you had been put into foster care. He was determined to find you.'

'Well he did,' I said, before suddenly, a sickening realisation hit me and I shook my head. 'This is all bullshit, isn't it?' I asked. He looked at me blankly, not understanding what I was saying. 'This whole fucking story is complete bullshit!'

'I can assure you, it isn't,' he said calmly.

'It has to be!' I yelled. 'Dylan didn't know who I was when we met. If it were true, he would have known who I was.'

'It's true,' James repeated. 'Dylan knew.'

'He can't have,' I said. 'He told me he had no idea what I was.'

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'But he lied.'

'No,' I said, by breathing growing rapid. 'No, you're wrong.'

'How did you meet,' he said, raising a brow at me. I looked up at him.

'He hit me with his car,' I said quietly, the realisation starting to sink in, though I tried to not let it.

'And you think that was just a coincidence?' he asked. 'That it would be a hunter who bumped into you.'

'It was an accident,' I said, feebly trying to argue my case.

'No, it was calculated,' he said. 'Did he take you to the hospital?'

'No,' I said. 'I asked him not to.'

'Do you really think a person who knew nothing of your abilities would listen?' he asked. I didn't reply. The truth was starting to sink in, the realisation making me want to collapse onto the floor.

'He knew,' I breathed, tears threatening to fall. 'Oh my god, he knew all along,' I repeated to myself. I looked up at James, his face was sad, sympathetic. 'And the training?'

'He knew you were made to be a hunter,' he said. 'A great one at that. He knew once people knew you had survived they would try and find you, try to hunt you down,' he said. 'Even if he lied,' he told me, 'he did it to protect you.' The room fell silent as I digested all that he had said. The truth, although horrifying, was still the truth. I had been looking for it my whole life. I refused to be disappointed with it, even if it wasn't the truth I was hoping for.

I looked up, my eyes connecting with the ex-hunter once again. 'You've gotta tell me more,' I said. 'Is there like a limit to how many times I can come back?' The hunter stared back nonchalantly, clearly confused.

'What do you mean?' he asked. I huffed in agitation. He didn't know the full extent of my abilities.

'That's awesome,' I said sarcastically. 'Your uncle probably failed to mention that I can't die!' His eyes widened at my words, his expression changing from confused to astounded, and also slightly scared. 'Actually, I can die, and I have. Many times.'

'I-I had no idea,' James stuttered. 'I thought he managed to give you advanced healing abilities. I had no idea…'

'Yeah, well I'm just full of surprises,' I drawled. 'I'm I ever gonna stop aging?' I asked, twirling a strand of hair around my finger and examining it for greys. 'What if I live for like five hundred years?'

James sighed, shaking his head. 'I'm afraid I have no idea,' he said, as if disappointed at the fact. 'You're unique, Alex. We can't predict what's gonna happen because no one like you has ever existed before.'

'Wonderful,' I said flatly. 'That makes me feel so special.' I took my seat again at the island and rested my head in my hands as I took a minute. I felt like crying. I felt like calling Derek and asking him to take me home. I felt like punching Dylan in the face. But all these things I knew I couldn't do. Even though Dylan had lied for all that time, he was still one of the best people I had ever met. He had cared about me, and ultimately, he had given his life trying to protect me. Whether it was out of the protective love he had for me or the guilt he felt over my parent's death, I didn't know. I didn't know that it didn't really matter. Either way, he had cared about something enough to try to protect me, and for that, I was grateful.

'Why did you stop hunting,' I asked suddenly, the question still nagging at me. 'Why didn't you stay with Dylan?'

'What my uncle did destroyed my family,' he told me. 'It took everyone away who I loved. If that isn't a good enough reason to not want to hunt, then I don't know what is.' I looked at him quizzically for a moment, something in his expression bothering me.

'No,' I said as I shook my head. 'That isn't why. Something like that wouldn't make a hunter give up,' I said, thinking back to how Argent was. I remembered what he had said to me after we thought Derek had died. He had told me to make his death count and that I couldn't let myself fall apart. Argent had lost his wife, his daughter, his sister and his father. He was had as much as a reason to give up as James had, but he didn't. 'You're lying.'

He looked at me uncomfortably for a second before replying. 'I'm not,' he said.

'It might be a part of the reason,' I said. 'But there's something else.' He maintained his confused façade for a long time before he sighed.

'My wife,' he said. 'I gave up hunting because of her. We moved up hear so we'd be out of the way, so we'd be safe.' I noticed how his hands were tightly clasped on the table, his fingers interlaced with one another. I considered his words. He didn't appear to lying, but why would his wife have caused him to completely turn his life in another direction. Then I remembered Eliza. I remembered the girl when she opened the door to me earlier. I remembered how she had tensed when I walked into a room she was in. I remembered her hands clamped over her ears when we were talking.

'Banshee,' I muttered under my breath, but James still caught it. 'Your wife's a banshee.' He nodded without speaking, though he didn't seem surprised that I had been able to figure it out. 'How long have you known about Eliza?' I asked, suddenly feeling sympathetic towards the man.

'A few months now,' he said. 'Our neighbour was killed in a car accident. The night before we were struggling to get Eliza to go to sleep. She wouldn't stop screaming.'

'She'll be okay,' I said, trying to sound encouraging. The truth was I was struggling to do anything.

'I know,' he said with a sigh. 'My wife has been teaching her. It's been slow but its progress.' I nodded as I held my now cold coffee mug in hand hands.

'My mom,' I started and James looked up. 'What was her name?' He smiled a little as he picked up the photograph again.

'Sarah,' he said. He pulled the back off of the frame, removing something from inside it. 'Here,' he said holding the piece of paper out to me. 'Keep it.' I let him place the paper on the counter and slid it over to me, my eyes catching sight of the picture on it.

The woman smiled out of the photograph at me, her eyes a soft brown. Her hair was dark, just like mine. There was a light in her eyes I could describe, a pure joy that made my heart ache. In her arms, she held a bundle of blankets, a tiny face of a sleeping baby poking out of it.

'Thank you,' I muttered, my eyes not leaving the photo.

'I'm sorry you never got to know her,' he said. 'She was sweet,' he told me, 'and naïve. She didn't know what she was getting herself into.' I nodded as I wiped my eyes.

'How else were the Argent's involved?' I asked.

'Our families had been friends for years,' he said. 'They helped us cover up the secret, helped us cover you up.'

'Did they all know?' I asked, thinking of Chris.

'If they did, they never talked about it,' he said. 'Only a handful of people know this information, Alex. I need you to keep it that way.'

'You don't have any right to ask me that,' I said.

'I know, but this isn't for my sake, it's for yours. Could you imagine what would happen to you if people knew what you could do?' I rolled my eyes. This guy had no idea what I'd been through.

'You're a little late,' I said. 'The people who killed Dylan took me for seven months. Earlier this year I had a team of supernatural assassins on my ass, not to mention I've got a stalker who wants to steal my ability for himself.' He looked shocked by my words and I sighed. 'Forget it.' I blinked slowly, squeezing the bridge of my nose. 'I should get going,' I said as I rose from my seat. 'Thanks for the coffee.'

'Alex, wait,' he said as I shoved the photograph into my pocket, picking my 9mm from the counter. I stopped what I was doing as I looked up at him. 'I'm so sorry.' I wanted to be mad at him, to storm out of the house or scream 'you should be' in his face. But then I thought of Stiles – him of all people. Stiles was still only a kid, just like James had been when he ran. Just like I had been when I ran from school. Having courage was sometimes a good thing, but a lot of the time, it was stupid and it got you killed.

'Don't be,' I said finally as I made for the door without looking back. 'I would have done the same thing.'

* * *

 **AN: So Alex finally found out where she came from.**

 **Hope you liked this chapter. Sorry that it was pretty dialogue heavy but I feel it needed to happen. What did you think?**

 **Also, I finally watched the beginning of Season 6! Don't wanna give anything away for those of you that haven't seen it but fghjfhjasd** **hfjkdfhg is all I can really say.**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	9. Chapter 8 - All I need

My mind was reeling for pretty much the entire way back from Washington. Derek's visit to Yakima had not been very successful, the GPS address taking him to a pretty much cleaned out apartment that had no trace of the desert wolf's associate apart from, of course, his mobile phone. That meant we were pretty much right back at the start of our search for the desert wolf. I had filled Derek in on all I had found out, deciding that secrets between us were no longer a thing. He listened intently to my story and I was glad from his support. Although the concept of honesty was a new one for me, it did feel good to get my anxieties off my chest.

Once the sun had descended past the horizon, I had insisted that we swap places in the car, allowing Derek to get some sleep. He'd said at first, he didn't need it but within half an hour he had resigned to the growing pull of exhaustion. As I drove, every now and again I would glance his way, taking in his peaceful features, memorising his face. I loved him. Perhaps more than anything I had ever loved before, although that pool was questionably shallow.

I wished I could say that the last few months with him had been my happiest, and to an extent, they had been. But our blissful time together had been marred by our secrets, my secrets, and for that I knew I would always be regretful.

The car that had been only illuminated by the sparse street lamps suddenly lit up, my phone screen flashing as the peaceful silence was cut by the sound of ringing. I cursed under my breath as Derek stirred, hoping it wouldn't wake him. I fumbled with my phone with one had as I tried to keep my eyes on the road. The sight of Stiles Stilinski's name on my screen made me suddenly realise how long it had been since I had heard from him. In fact, apart from Malia, it had been over a week since I had heard from any of them.

'It's 3am,' I said flatly as I answered, trying to keep my voice low. 'If your reason for calling isn't because you found a dead body, I'll make you into one.' I listened for a response that I presumed would be accompanied by a dramatic eye role, but when none came, I became concerned. 'Stiles?'

 _'Alex,'_ he said carefully but also as if he was on the verge of breaking down. My knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. _'We uh...'_ He trailed off, as if he wasn't sure he should say whatever it was he wanted to say. _'We need you to...'_ He trailed off again. There was a rustle on the end of the line, along with an irritated huff.

 _'Alex,'_ I heard Lydia's voice say, her tone confident yet terrified. _'We need you to come back.'_ I slammed on the breaks, the abrupt stop causing the sleeping wolf's eyes to snap open.

'What?' I asked incredulously.

 _'We need you to come back to Beacon Hills, like right now. Both of you,'_ the strawberry blonde demanded, her tone desperate. I looked over to the green-eyed wolf beside me who was now fully awake. He didn't need me to put the phone on speaker to be able to hear what was being said.

'Why? Has something happened?' I asked urgently, my question being met with a hollow laugh.

 _'Has something happened?'_ She asked back sarcastically. There was another rustle and Stiles was back on the phone.

 _'Okay, yes, something may have happened,'_ he admitted.

 _'May?'_ I heard Lydia hiss in the background.

'What's going on?' I asked, growing more and more worries by the second.

 _'I told you we should've called her when the first body showed up,'_ Lydia whispered harshly to Stiles, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

'First body?' I questioned. 'Calm down and tell me what the hell is going on?!' I practically yelled down the phone.

 _'People keep turning up dead, there are fricking kanimas with wings running around and a group of dread doctors kidnapped Liam and Hayden,'_ he said, his words stilling out of his mouth

'Who the hell is Hayden?' I questioned.

 _'Seriously? That's your first question?'_ He asked and I rolled my eyes _. 'Oh, and I forgot to mention that Kira also just got arrested. For murder.'_ He exaggerates the last word like it was a different language. I pressed a finger to my temple.

'Okay,' I said, trying to keep calm. 'Just give us a couple of days to sort things out and we'll be there, okay?' I asked, trying to think.

 _'A couple of days?'_ Stiles asked disbelievingly. _'Did you not hear what I just said?'_

'Okay, okay,' I replied, trying to think. I glanced across as Derek for some help or reassurance. His eyes were fixed on mine intently as he nodded slowly. I nodded back. 'Okay, we can be there by morning.' With some hesitant thanks, Stiles hung up the phone and I pulled out onto the freeway.

'Fuck!' I yelled as I punched the steering wheel. 'They should have called the second something happened. What the hell were they thinking?!' I could feel the angry tears forming in my eyes.

'I think they thought they wanted to give us a break from all that,' Derek replied surprisingly calmly.

'What, and leave it until they were even more fucked?' I asked, my tone bitter but most of all pissed.

'Hey, hey,' he said taking one of my hands in his. 'We're gonna figure this out, okay?' He said, trying to calm me down. 'We'll drive back to the apartment. Pick up some stuff and get to Beacon Hills.' He squeezed my hand and I took my eyes off of the road briefly to give him an appreciative smile. 'We've dealt with this kind of thing before, we can do it again,' Derek said as I turned back to the road, but in that moment, I wasn't sure if I agreed with him.

* * *

I didn't even bother to breath as I sprinted up the stairs to the apartment. I had left Derek with the car whilst I packed up our things, the important stuff already in the car from our trip to Washington. I had 20 minutes max before we needed to be on the road.

I felt like kicking down the door when I arrived outside the apartment, but it was nearing 4am and I didn't want to wake anyone up. I jammed the keys in the lock, pushing the door open. I didn't waste time turning on the lights, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the loft in record time. I rummaged for things I would need, clothes, a jacket and the arsenal of weapons I kept in a duffel bag under the bed.

After double checking that I had everything, I grabbed a pad of paper, scrawling a quick message to whoever would inevitably come into the apartment. I didn't know exactly how long we would be away for, but something inside me wasn't sure we would ever come back. I left a bundle of cash on the table next to the note, enough for the next 2 months of rent and then some. I did one last sweep of the apartment before I was ready to leave, but as I turned around, there was a click. The bedside lamp flashed on.

I turned around, pulling out my gun in one swift motion, only to be met by a very surprised and scare looking Marty. I released a breath of relief, tossing the gun onto the table and running a nervous hand through my hair. 'Shit, you scared the crap out of me.'

'I scared the crap out of you?!' She asked incredulously. I shot her an apologetic look.

'What are you doing here?' I asked. She looked ready to explode

'You took off in the middle of the night and were gone for 3 days!' She yelled. 'You didn't even call!'

'I know,' I said rubbing my forehead. 'I'm sorry, something came up and me and Derek had to leave town.'

'Why do you have a gun?' She asked with a frown. I glanced at the weapon on the bed. 'Is Alex even your real name.'

'Well actually...' I trailed off.

'Oh my god!' She yelled, turning away like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Is anything you've told me true?'

'I did move here from California,' I replied, unsure about what she wanted me to say. She glanced down at the case and duffle bag at my feet before raising an eyebrow

'Are you going back?' she asked. I nodded slowly.

'Look, I don't have time to explain. Somethings happened and we have to go, it's important,' I said, grabbing my things. My hands were shaking as I picked the gun from the table and shoved it into the back of me jeans.

'Alex, are you okay?' She asked softly, her expression changing from angry to concerned. 'Are you and Derek in trouble?' She moved so that she was in my line of sight and peered into my eyes. I didn't want to look at her, if I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back the tears. I didn't say anything, the silence enough of an answer.

'Alex, whatever it is, I can help,' she said, her voice determined. 'Maybe you should call the cops.'

'No, Marty,' i said urgently. 'You can't get the cops involved.' She looked ready to cry too, her expression desperate to help.

'Alex, please tell me what's going on, you're really freaking me out,' she said, her voice cracking.

'I can't,' I said, though I wanted to. 'Things have happened to Derek and I. Bad things. And now it's happening again and no one else is going to stop it,' she looked terrified by my words and also that she completely believed me. 'Here,' I said, reaching into the duffle bag and filling out Argent's Glock. 'Take this, okay?' I took her hand and thrust the gun into it. 'This is to release the clip, here's the safety. Don't show it to anyone,' I said quickly.

'Alex, I...' She trailed off as she held the gun at arm's length. 'I've never fired a gun before. I couldn't shoot someone.'

'If there're something after you, you'll be able to,' I assured her. She frowned at my use of the word 'something.'

'Alex, have you- have you ever killed anyone?' she asked tentatively. I looked up and met her eyes.

'Yes,' I said truthfully. the exchange reminding me of a similar one I'd had with Stiles. She didn't reply as she stared back at me, her eyes somehow seeming different from usual. I found myself having to look away.

A moment past and then suddenly I felt arms around me. I hugged her back gratefully, silent tears beginning to slip down my cheeks. I wiped them away as we pulled apart and I noticed that her eyes were glistening too.

'I gotta go,' I sniffed as I grabbed my stuff, throwing the duffel bag over my shoulder.

'I'm not gonna see you again, am I?' Marty asked as she tucked a piece of blue hair behind her ear.

'Of course you will, I promise,' I assured before made for the door.

I wish I hadn't lied to her. I should have known better than to make a promise I wasn't going to keep.

* * *

Derek was leaning stiffly against the hood of his car as I approached him from the entrance of the apartment building. At first, I thought he was just tense because of the situation we were in, the hectic phone call with Stiles earlier making the whole situation see ten times worse, but as I approached him, I noticed how pale his skin was. He was gripping his phone in his right hand very tightly and I wasn't sure if it was out of anxiety or anger. Maybe it was both.

He looked up as I walked closer, though his eyes didn't seem to focus on me. It was more like they were staring through me than anything.

'Shall we get going?' I asked in an as upbeat tone as I could muster. Derek remained silent as he swallowed thickly. 'Hey, are you okay?' I asked as brought my right hand to his cheek. He opened his mouth to speak and closed it again without saying a word. Then he opened it again.

'I just got a message from Cora,' he said carefully, his tone wavering. I pulled back to look at him.

'What did it say?' I asked, already dreading the answer.

'She said she's got hunters on her ass,' he said, swallowing again. 'She's in trouble. And she needs help.'

'Oh my god,' I breathed, realisation of the situation hitting me. 'We should go,' I suggested. 'We have to help her.'

'What about Beacon Hills?' he asked.

'I'm sure there will still be a crisis to solve when we get back,' I joked but only half way. The situation was certainly not amusing.

'No, Alex,' he said softly. 'You need to go to Beacon Hills. I need to go save Cora.'

'What?' I asked, pulling away from him completely. 'I'm not letting you go alone!'

'I've dealt with hunters before, I can do it again,' he replied.

'Well maybe I can't do it alone!' I admitted as I reached up my hands onto his shoulders. 'Maybe I need you.' My hands came to the back of his neck. He leant down to rest his forehead against mine and I leant my body into him.

'I know you can do this, Alex,' he whispered, his warm breath on my lips. He leaned down further to kiss me and I met him in the middle, pulling him closer to me as my lips moulded to his. His strong, warm hands found my waist and he pulled me against him, deepening the kiss.

I wasn't sure how it happened but somehow, he managed to get the back door of the car open without breaking the kiss and soon we were side by side, protected from the cold night air inside the car. I tangled my fingers in his raven hair, pulling his face closer to mine so I could indulge in his intoxication scent, his warmth radiating through me with every movement of his body. We were so close now that I could feel the rise and fall of his chest. It made my heart stutter.

It wasn't until I tasted my salty tears on his lips that I realised I was crying. The tears had silently slipped down my cheeks, leaving glistening trails of passion and emotion. I pulled back without opening my eyes, but I could feel his gaze on my face.

'Alex…' he started in that concerned voice he always seemed to use around me. I knew he was about to try and comfort me, to make sure I would be okay, but I didn't want him to. I wiped a hand across my face, brushing away the tears as I crashed my lips onto his once again.

He didn't respond straight away, but when he did, it was with an urgency that somehow scared me, but seeing as I was already terrified, it didn't bother me much. I continued to kiss him, and he continued to kiss me back, one hand supping my cheek and the other on my waist. The pressure of his fingers on my skin somehow making me crazy. I moved my hands from his hair to his shirt, my fingers working to undo his top button. He seemed to tense for a second and for a moment I was afraid he might push me away. We hadn't been together in a while, but there was something about that night that drew me to him in an almost animalistic way, like his wolf was beaconing me to him.

He let me continue as he edged off my jacket, pulling my own top over my head. My long, dark hair fell over my bar shoulders and goose bumps began to form on my skin from the cold. I lay down on the back seat. I normal circumstances, I would have found it extremely uncomfortable, but right then, I was as comfortable as I thought was possible. I kicked off my jeans as he leant down, his warm breath brushing my stomach before his kissed just below my belly button – where Violet had stabbed me. He moved up, his lips caressing when The Chemists bullets had ripped into me. He kissed my chest where I had let the assassin's bullet puncture my body instead of his. He kissed my forehead where Peter had shot he the first time we had met. He ended with a lingering kiss on my lips, reminding me of our first all those months ago. I remembered the fear that the kiss had conjured inside of me and how I had run from him. Now there was no fear when I was with him, just comfort and love.

* * *

Eyes flashed a glorious blue at me as I ran my fingers through the wolf's silky fur. I placed a final kiss on his soft head before releasing him. He seemed to nod at me before he turned away, his hind legs propelling him forward and out of sight.

I cried for a good, solid twenty minutes after he had left, my mind struggling to find a reason not to go after him. But I knew I couldn't. Beacon Hills needed me. My friends needed me more. So after my twenty minutes of letting it all out, I sucked it back in, forcing myself to be stronger than I knew I was.

I put the keys in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot once the engine had kicked in. It felt strange finding myself driving back to the small, Californian town. I remembered the first time I had driven past it's boarder and thought of how much had changed since then. Then again, I was still just a girl alone in a car, on a mission to find out what exactly the hell was going on in that town. But I also had people to fight for, and that made me feeling like my trip to Beacon Hills would be so much more important the second time around.

 **AN: So Alex is on her way back to Beacon Hills, but sadly, Derek won't be accompanying her :( what do you think this will mean for their relationship?**

 **Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	10. Chapter 9 - Home Sweet Home

I felt a strange sense of nostalgia as I stood on the McCall residence door step. I wasn't exactly sure where I was supposed to go upon arriving in Beacon Hills but this was the first place that made sense. Although I was pissed at them all for calling me so late after they had descended into crisis, I felt a sense of exhilaration and excitement as I knocked on the door. I waited for a moment, but there was no reply. I tried again. Still nothing. This wasn't exactly boding well for my dramatic return. I glanced behind me, noticing several cars pulled up in the driveway. Someone must be home. I turned back to the door with a huff before a smirk made its way onto my lips. I took a deep breath to prepare myself, and then I kicked the door in.

The latched popped open and the door swung inwards, crashing against the inside wall as I stepped inside, a satisfied smirk on my face. I was met by half a dozen or so shocked faces. Some I recognised. Some I didn't. My eyes skimmed quickly over them, my gaze fixing on the alpha.

'Am I interrupting something?' I asked, letting my features sink back into my usual standoffish face.

'Alex.' Stiles voice from across the room, causing my vision to snap to him. 'You're here.'

'You called, I came,' I replied matter of factly. I noticed Scott shoot his friend a questioning look out of the corner of my eye. I took a moment to scan the faces I didn't recognise. One I found vaguely familiar. He had a darker complexion and stood nervously next to Scott and Malia. The others stood across the room, a smaller one who didn't look much over sixteen and another, taller one who eyed me carefully, his stare making me uncomfortable, though I didn't show it.

'Who the hell are you?' the smaller one asked. His voice was quiet and I rounded on him with a harsh glare.

'I could ask you the same,' I shot back.

'Her name's Alex,' Lydia spoke up, her input surprising me. 'She's here to help.'

'Where's Derek?' Stiles asked as if suddenly realising he should have been there too. With me.

'He couldn't make it to the party,' I said, shrugging off his question nonchalantly.

'Are you human or supernatural?' the boy asked and I turned back to see he had raised a brow at me. I raised one back.

'Depends who you ask,' I replied, not wanting to let any information slip out in front of strangers.

'We can do introductions later,' Scott said, silencing all of us. 'Right now, we need to find Liam and Hayden.' I wanted to ask who Hayden was again but considering everyone seemed so hell bent on rescuing her, I was sure she was someone important.

'I'm going with you,' the guy next to Scott said.

'Oh, did you suddenly get super wolf powers?' Stiles commented sarcastically. 'I wasn't aware of that development.'

'Well, if you're not going, I could use the help,' Scott said.

'No, I'm coming just as soon as I talk to my dad. They're moving the body and he wants to make sure that this time no one steals it,' Stiles said. I shot him a quizzical look but he ignored it 'Whoever took the last one was strong enough to flip my Jeep.'

'Wait, what?' I asked incredulously. Again, I was ignored.

'We can bring Theo,' Malia suggested, pointing to the taller one.

'Maybe I better stay here,' Theo replied. 'You know, in case the Doctors decide to make a house call for Corey.'

'We need to go,' Scott said urgently. 'Liam and Hayden could already be dead.'

'Then let's go,' Malia suggested, nodding towards the door. Scott looked at me expectantly, as if asking me if I was coming along.

'You know what, think I'll stay too,' I replied, feigning composure as I caught Stiles' gaze. Scott nodded once before he took off, Malia and the other boy hot on his heels. Once they were out of the door, Stiles made to leave. I caught his arm when he was half way to the door, yanking him closer to me. He yelped a little as I did it, but fingers pressing into his shoulder.

'You didn't tell Scott that you asked me to come?!' I whispered harshly into his ear.

'Look, I'm sorry, okay, but things have been pretty hectic around here,' he explained. I let my grip slacken a little.

'Whatever,' I said with a roll of my eyes. 'I'll come with you to the hospital.'

'No, no,' he said quickly, his voice still hushed so the others couldn't here. 'I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Theo.' I frowned at his words.

'You mean that kid,' I said pointedly, jerking my head in his direction. He did look arrogant and like he would be a pain in my ass, but other than that, he seemed harmless.

'I don't trust him,' he said and I shot him a look.

'I'm not here to babysit, Stiles,' I said, growing irritated.

'I know, but this is important,' he said. His eyes were pleading and finally, I agreed. 'Don't let him out of your sight,' he said as he rushed to the door.

'Hey Stiles,' I called after him. His head span around in my direction. 'It's good to see you.'

'You too,' he smiled weakly but sincerely. I watched him leave as I bit my lip, my arms folding across my chest as I turned to the remaining three.

Theo was leaning over the boy, Corey, and examining the back of his neck. I strode over, setting myself down on the arm of the couch.

I beckoned Lydia over to me, asking her to fill me in on as much as she could from the last three weeks. The strawberry blonde talked in quick phrases, but soon, I had a better picture on what was happening in Beacon Hills.

'It healed, didn't it?' Corey said, pulling Lydia and I from our conversation.

'Yeah. Completely,' Theo replied.

'Okay, then. It's been fun,' the kid said as he rose from the chair. 'Especially the part where a werewolf forced his way into my brain with his claws!' I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he was being. It wasn't like he died or anything.

'I don't think leaving is such a good idea, Corey,' Theo warned as the kid edged closer to the door. 'You know, Lydia's a Banshee. It means she can tell when someone's close to death.' _This ought to be good._ 'Lydia, what happens if he walks out that door?' he asked.

'It's bad,' she replied, trying to sound ominous. 'Very bad.' Even an idiot would have known it was complete bullshit.

'I'll take my chances,' Corey said, as predicted.

'Then give us a better chance at finding our friends,' Theo prompted. 'What else did you see?' Corey sighed.

'They took me outta my room at the hospital,' he said as he remembered what the Dread Doctors had done to him. 'And then the tunnels. Like I already told you.'

'There has to be more,' Lydia inputted as the three of us stared quizzically at the kid.

'There was a basement,' Corey said, suddenly remembering. 'In a house. It was old, covered in dust and... There was a broken stone wall with a large hole in it. Like a bomb went off.' I raised an eyebrow at his words. What the hall had been going on in this town.

'Lydia, the werewolf with the talons,' Theo started, looking toward the strawberry blonde girl. 'The one who attacked Scott. Didn't Parrish say that he smashed through the wall of a basement?'

'Yeah,' Lydia said ominously. 'It was exactly like that.' As she spoke, her gaze rose as she sent us all a knowing look.

'That's it,' Theo said. 'That's where Liam and Hayden are.'

'Then let's go,' Lydia suggested as she started towards the door with Theo.

'Wait!' I said suddenly. They two turned around and shot me a quizzical look. 'Lydia, you should stay here with Corey. I'll go.' She raised an eyebrow at me questioningly. 'Just in case,' I added, shooting her a pointed look. She knew what I meant. In case the Dread Doctors showed up. In case there was a fight and she got hurt. I was better at handling getting hurt than pretty much anybody. She nodded in understanding. Theo looked between us, a little apprehensive. I shot him a glare.

'Come on,' I said, running out the front door with him following after. 'We can take my car,' I said when we made it outside.

'I think I should drive,' he suggested. I shot him another glare.

'No way I'm letting you drive my car,' I replied, as if the mere thought disgusted me.

'Do you know where we're going?' he asked. I didn't reply, throwing the keys at his head which he caught effortlessly, much to my annoyance. He rolled his eyes as he climbed into the driver's seat and we pulled out of the drive to save Liam and Hayden.

'I've heard about you,' Theo said, breaking the silence as we sped through the darkened streets of Beacon Hills. I chose to ignore his statement. 'You can heal, right?'

'Yeah,' I sighed as I stared out the passenger window.

'That's pretty impressive,' he said, his compliment reminding me of Peter Hale right before he shot me in the head. I raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

'Are you flirting with me?' I asked incredulously, eyeing the cocky smirk on Theo's lips.

'Would it be an issue if I was?' he retorted confidently as he glanced at me briefly. I knew he was just trying to mess with me, but even so, I wasn't just going to back down. I wasn't that kind of person.

'You're not really my type,' I said, looking him up and down as if the very suggestion made my stomach church. Which it did.

'I thought werewolves were your type,' he said with a smirk. His remark caught me off guard and I found myself having to try extra hard to keep my features schooled. I let my lip curve up in amusement.

'Werewolves, maybe. Arrogant teenagers…' I paused, pretending to think. 'I think I'll pass. I don't date children.' I kept my voice distasteful, hoping the comment would get under his skin. He chuckled dryly.

'So, Stiles asked you to come back to help?' he asked, the swift change of subject not passing me by unnoticed. I rested my foot against the dashboard and fiddled with my laces.

'Yeah,' I replied.

'Why'd you leave Beacon Hills in the first place?' he asked.

'Can we skip sharing time?' I asked dryly. I wished he would just quit talking.

'I heard you and Stiles earlier,' he said. My gaze flicked back to him. 'I know he asked you to keep an eye on me.' I contemplated denying it, but I knew it would be fruitless. Why waste my energy?

'Yeah, you're right,' I said, 'You're new around here, it's gonna take some time before Stiles will let you braid his hair.' I hoped my sarcasm would have to desired effect.

'Is that the job you're here for?' he quipped and I shot him a glare. I could see that we were pulling up to an old house so I sat up straighter, pulling my Glock from the back of my jeans. I watched him as he tensed a little, which I found satisfying, but his expression remained unfazed.

'What's that for?' he asked as I released the clip to check I had enough ammunition.

'It's for the bad guys,' I said as we pulled over and climbed out of the vehicle. 'And anyone who pisses me off.'

'Is that a threat?' he said, clearly amused. I grabbed the top of his shirt with one hand and pushed him back against the car with my free hand.

'Let me get one thing straight,' I spat, my tone completely serious. 'I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to supernatural jackasses. You ever cross me or my friends, I'll make you regret it.' He slowly reached up, his fingers curling around my wrist of the hand that held him. He pulled back, easing my hand away from his chest as he prised my fingers from the fabric of his t-shirt. The manoeuvre was calm, yet demonstrated how much stronger he was than me, his actions intimidating me more than I cared to admit.

'Let _me_ get one thing straight,' he said, growing serious himself. 'Whilst you took a vacation with your boyfriend, I was the one here looking out for everyone else.' He paused for impact, letting his words sink in. 'Thanks for the warning, but if I were you, I'd think twice before threatening the person who's trying to save the people we _both_ care about.' He released me and strode away towards the house. I watched after him in shock. 'Are you coming?' he called, snapping me from my daze. I huffed before running after him.

'I want my car keys back.'

* * *

'Liam!' I yelled as we approached the old, withered house. We walked down past the front porch to when the basement entrance was, coming across a metal gate. It had gradually been getting darker and darker since we left Scott's house, and now, the whole building seemed to be cast in one giant shadow. I shivered slightly.

'Liam! Hayden!' we both continued to yell, listening out for a reply. There was shuffling in the darkness ahead of us, and then the silhouette of two people on the ground.

'There,' I said, pointing towards them as we both picked up the pace.

'Liam,' Theo shouted as he sped past me towards them, the two teens becoming more visible the closer we got.

'Theo, don't!' I heard Liam call but it was too late. As soon a Theo laid a hand on the metal, his body jolted uncontrollable as volts of electricity coursed through his veins. The gate sparked a brilliant white light and Theo was thrown to the ground. I stopped just behind where he lay, looking down at him with mild concern.

'Theo!' Liam yelled from the other side of the bars. 'Theo, you alright?'

'Yeah,' the werewolf groaned. I held out a hand to him and yanked him up. He smiled briefly at me in gratitude before turning back to the basement.

'Alex?' I heard Liam say disbelievingly when he noticed me.

'Hey,' I said a little awkwardly. 'You two doing okay in there?' I asked, eyeing the girl's, Hayden's, blood stained shirt with concern. The both nodded.

I held a hand out, my fingers hovering above the bar before I forced my hand onto it. I could only hold on for a few seconds before the pain was too much. I took my hand off quickly, shaking it to try to get rid of the pain. I tried again, this time refusing to remove my hand. The electricity felt like fire under my skin, each second in contact with it was ten times worse than the last. I gritted my teeth together to keep myself from screaming as I tried to pull the gate apart, but I couldn't hold it in. As I shouted in pain, the electricity sent me stumbling backwards. As soon as I'd let go, the pain disappeared as my ability healed any damage that had been done.

'I can't get it open,' I yelled in frustration as I tried again, this time the electricity causing me to scream as soon as my hand connected to it. The electricity jolted through me like relentless bullets and I was transported back three years.

My jaw clenched as I tried to conceal my screams as to not give The Chemist the satisfaction. I wasn't sure how much electricity my body could take. All I knew was that it was a lot. I didn't even bother asking him to stop, there was no point. I'd been asking him the same question for five months straight. As the voltage increased, I felt a tear escape from under my squeezed shut eyelids before I let out a blood curdling scream.

I breathed heavily as I released the gate from my hands. I wasn't sure how long I had been holding on for, but it was long enough for the heat of the electricity to burn through the flesh on my palms. They stung mildly before I watched the skin zip back up, the wounds leaving no scars. I looked up just as Theo looked away, but I knew he had seen it.

'Can you get help?' Liam asked as he staggered towards the gate.

'We are the help,' Theo told him. I watched as he took a deep breath and grasped the gate in both hands. His scream was more like a roar as he pulled on the live metal, trying to pull it free. With an almighty bang, the metal snapped open, releasing Liam and Hayden from the basement.

Theo slumped over as he breathed heavily, though he didn't collapse to the ground. After being reassured that he wouldn't pass out I ran over to Liam who was helping the girl to her feet. Hayden was a pretty girl, her hair dark like mine. She winced as Liam pulled her off the ground and I stood on the opposite side of her to support her weight as we lead them to the car.

We eased the girl into the back of the car slowly as she held her side. The blood was running black rather than red and I tried to remember if that was a fatal sign or not. She smiled gratefully at me but it came across as more of a grimace. I sent her one back before I climbed into the driver's seat to get the others to safety.

* * *

Scott, Malia and the boy, whose name I had learned was Mason, breathed a sigh of relief as they walked through the McCall front door and spotted Hayden and Liam on the couch.

I stood back as I watched Theo give an exhausted looking Scott a relieved and comforting hug. Scott patted him on the shoulder as they embraced, signalling how grateful he was to the beta for saving Liam and Hayden. As the emotional scene unfolded I noticed Scott take a step back as the others hugged and thanked Theo for helping them. I stepped closer to the alpha and he started slightly when he felt my hand squeeze his shoulder.

'You okay?' I asked him quietly as he watched on his pack. He didn't reply for a long time to the point where I wasn't sure if he had even heard my question.

'Yeah,' he finally breathed out, this voice absentminded. He turned away after a moment, muttering something about how he needed to call Stiles. I nodded understandingly as he left, but I couldn't help he feel concerned.

'Alex,' I heard from beside me and I turned, coming face to face with Theo. His lips turned up a little in a small smile, but somehow it still looked like he was frowning. He offered a hand to me, as if to say he wanted us to be friends, or at least get along. I took his hand and shook it, I sign of our mutual respect for each other. It represented that although we weren't in any way trusting of each other, we did believe we were on the same team.

However, at least on my part, the sincerity behind the gesture was fake. And I think he knew it too.

* * *

 **AN: There's chapter 9! Hope you liked it. Would love some feedback if you are enjoying the story or have any suggestions/comments :)**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	11. Chapter 10 - Under My Skin

'Don't worry, I haven't told anyone,' I reassured the were-coyote as I handed her the white envelope. She ripped it open as soon as it was placed in her palm, her fingers scrabbling to pull out the photographs that could lead her to her mother.

'How did you even get these?' she asked as she flicked through the snaps of the Desert Wolf I had collected for her. I looked around the school parking lot to make sure no one was around before I answered.

'I know someone in contact with a family of hunters,' I told her mysteriously.

'You mean the Calaveras?' she asked knowingly. I smirked at her.

'Keep those safe,' I instructed her just as the high school bell rang. I turned to leave when she called me back.

'Thanks,' she said sincerely, the look of gratitude on her face a rare one. I smiled back.

She took off back towards the school and I climbed into my car. The last couple of days back in Beacon Hills had been strange to say the least. For starters, I wasn't staying at the loft or my apartment, instead spending the nights roaming the streets by myself, thinking over all that had happened over the last few months. I hadn't told anyone yet about Seattle, but I knew sooner or later Scott would ask, or maybe even Deaton when he showed up again.

There had been no sign of the Dread Doctors since I arrived and no new Chimeras had emerged either. It was like we were all walking on eggshells, waiting for something disastrous to happen. Everyone seemed intense, much more than usual. It was strange to be around them all when none of them seemed to be talking to each other. In order to keep my mind off it, I had been busying myself with research into the Desert Wolf for Malia, having received a few messages from Chris Argent with information. I'd only had a single phone call from Derek since I left Oregon, and he informed me he was still looking for Cora. Although he was trying not to concern me, it was clear in his weary voice on the phone that he was worried about her, and that worried me.

It seemed like I was back into the flow of keeping secrets, and now it was as if everyone had one. For starters, Parrish, who I still hadn't seen since my return to Beacon Hills, had been revealed to be the one taking the bodies of the dead Chimeras, and no one had told the Sheriff yet. Then again, no one had told Parrish yet either. Whatever he was, he had no recollection of taking any of the bodies and, according to Stiles and Lydia, leaving them at the Nemeton. The other issue was that Kira had left Beacon Hills, her absence being felt mostly by Scott who seemed somewhat lost without her. The few times I had seen the alpha since she had taken off he had been distracted, his mind preoccupied with figuring how the hell he was supposed to manage the pack and save everyone.

However, my biggest concern at that time was a certain human who had been acting strangely for pretty much the entire time I had been back in Beacon Hills. This was why I found myself driving towards the Stilinski household after pulling out of the high school parking lot. I smiled at how familiar the route felt, my mind quickly settling into the old swing of things. I reached Stiles' house relatively quickly and pulled up outside, jumping out of the driver's seat and locking the car over my shoulder. His bedroom window wasn't open, but from the slight murmur coming from within the house, I guessed he was in.

I spied the drainpipe leading to his bedroom and recalled the time I had snuck up there and scared the hell out of him. My lips quirked up in a smile. I shoved my car keys into my pocket and grabbed the pipe in my hands, using it to pull myself up as I carefully placed my boot clad feet on the brackets behind it. I made it up onto the lower roof pretty quickly and soon I was outside the teen's room. I scrabbled with the edge of the window and cursed when it wouldn't open. _Since when did Stiles ever remember to keep his window locked?_

I contemplated putting my foot through it but then realised that it probably wasn't one of my best ideas. Instead, I waited in the cold air until I saw him emerge from the bathroom, clearly having just had a shower. I thanked my lucky stars that he had already put his jeans on and was pulling a shirt over his head when he entered the bedroom. I waited for him to notice me, but when a few minutes passed and he hadn't, I knocked on the glass.

He jumped more than I had expected, swerving around with wild eyes before he tripped over the towel he had dropped on the floor and fell down onto the carpet. I would have laughed if he hadn't looked so terrified. When he noticed my figure behind the glass he relaxed a little, before his eyes narrowed into a glare. I waved at him awkwardly.

He climbed to his feet and slid the window up, running a nervous hand through his damp hair.

'You scared the crap out of me,' he muttered, scratching his right shoulder.

'Sorry,' I replied insincerely as I crouched outside his room.

'What are you doing here?' he asked. I raised an eyebrow at him as if to say 'do I have to have a reason for visiting a friend.' He raised one back. The answer was yes.

'Are you gonna let me in?' I asked, glancing behind me at the approximately ten-foot drop. He shook his head for a moment before stepping aside and allowing me to effortlessly slide myself through the window and onto the carpet.

I perched myself on the edge of his bed as I studied him. He was nervous. Noticeably so. He was biting his lip, his shoulders were tense, his nails picked at each other. He glanced at me expectantly, waiting for me to announce why I was there. His eyes were a little glazed over and dark circles hung under each eye as if he hadn't been sleeping very well. In fact, he looked exhausted. Something was terribly wrong.

'I just wanted to check in,' I half lied smoothly. 'We haven't really had a chance to catch up since I got back.' I placed my words carefully, the teen suddenly seeming more fragile than usual.

'Yeah well, a lot of crap's been happening, so…' he trailed off, his coming up to scratch his shoulder again. I frowned at the gesture as his nails dug into the fabric of his shirt.

'What's wrong with your shoulder?' I asked with a frown. His eyes widened and his hand dropped to his side instantly.

'Nothing,' he said quickly.

'I can tell when you're lying, Stiles,' I said almost teasingly. 'Come on, what happened?' I stood up and approached him, reaching a hand towards his shoulder to pull the fabric away.

'It's nothing, okay!' he practically yelled as he flinched away from my hand. I took a step back in shock as I raised my eyebrows at him.

'Stiles, what's going on?' I asked seriously. My concern was growing now and I felt like I wanted to grab his arms and shake it out of him. I didn't though. I remained absolutely still as I waited for his answer.

'Don't get involved, Alex,' he said sternly. My attitude changed from concerned to pissed off.

'Don't get involved?' I yelled at him. 'I'm already fucking involved, Stiles! You dragged me back here for that specific reason.'

'I'm sorry, okay, but this is different,' he said defeatedly, his eyes looking like tears might spill from them at any second.

'Stiles, if you don't tell me what the hell is going on with you right now…' I trailed off. _What would I do?_ His eyes squeezed shut. It was as if he wanted to tell me, to get whatever it was off his chest, but he just couldn't find the words. But what frightened me the most was how he seemed to be ashamed of whatever it was. 'Stiles,' I said quietly. 'Whatever it is, I can assure you I've done worse.' At my words his gaze snapped up. We locked eyes for a moment before he nodded slowly and pulled back the shirt on his shoulder.

I walked up to him and carefully peered beyond the flannel shirt to see the strange markings on his skin. They were bright red and seemed to be deep. The circular shape of them was what confused me the most. 'Where did you get this?' I asked as I stared at it. 'It almost looks like a-.'

'Wendigo bite,' he finished for me. I nodded as he pulled his shoulder away from me. 'It was Donovan.'

'Who the hell is Donovan?' I asked with a frown. Stiles turned around to face me.

'He was a chimera,' he said and I now vaguely remembered Lydia mentioning his name to me a couple of days before. However, this didn't help to solve my confusion.

'Didn't he die?' I asked confusedly. Stiles lowered his gaze to the ground and he wrung his hands, his lower jaw starting to shake. Realisation hit me with a force so great that I wasn't sure what to do with myself. 'Stiles, did you-,' I paused, unsure as to whether I would be able to finish my question. 'Did you kill him?'

'It was at the school, and he came after me. He was-he was going to kill my dad.' He wouldn't look at me as I spoke. 'It all happened so fast and I-.'

'It was self-defence, Stiles,' I told him sadly. 'He came after you and you defended yourself.'

'Do you think that's how the cops will see it?' he asked incredulously. 'Do you think that's how Scott will see it?' I sighed as I squeezed the bridge of my nose.

'Have you told anyone else?' I asked.

'No,' he said quietly. 'But Theo knows.'

'Perfect,' I replied sarcastically. 'Is he gonna keep his mouth shut?'

'I dunno,' Stiles replied. 'He said he would as long as I didn't tell anyone about another chimera I saw him kill.' My eyes widened but I couldn't exactly say I was shocked.

'So, he's blackmailing you?' I asked furiously. 'I swear to god when I get my hands on him…'

'You'll what, Alex? Scott trust him now. You can't hurt or threaten him,' he told me. I nodded at him though I knew I would probably defy him in the end. After a long moment, I couldn't take it anymore. I approached him and pulled him to me in what I hoped was a comforting hug. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I felt his tears start to dampen my top as one slipped down my cheek. I hated seeing him like his – anxious and in pain. I knew there probably wasn't much I could do or say to make him feel better, but I tried fruitlessly anyway.

'It's gonna be okay,' I told him and I felt him nod. But I knew that deep down, we both knew it wouldn't be.

* * *

The next day, against my better judgement, I found myself driving to Beacon Hills High School once again, a place I wished I never would have to step foot in again. High schools gave me the creeps and the fact that I never even made it to Junior year was probably a contributor to that.

I pulled up into the spot nearest the back entrance, uncaring that it was reserved for staff only. I hoped my little visit would go unnoticed to everyone it didn't concern (mostly Stiles and for other reasons, Scott too). I knew my way to the boys' locker room pretty well, though the last time I had been there I had been shot multiple times and been practically carried out by non-other than Agent McCall.

I was thankful that classes seemed to be still in progress so there was no one in the corridors to give me funny looks. I checked to make sure the locker room was clear of half-dressed teenagers before swinging the door open and making my way in. I knew the person I was looking for was currently attending lacrosse practice, so I waited patiently on one of the benches, picking at my nails and trying to ignore the stench of sweat and body odour wafting through the air.

After about ten minutes of wavering patience, I heard footfalls coming from the other end of the locker room and stood up, casually leaning myself against one of the lockers. I smiled to myself when I spotted him coming through the door, helmet and lacrosse stick in hand.

'And I thought this school already met its quota for werewolves on the lacrosse team,' I commented snidely. Theo straightened up at the sound of my voice but he didn't flinch as he turned to face me.

'Alex, what are you doing here?' he asked, his brow furrowing with, for a second, what I thought was concern. 'Is everything okay?' I narrowed by eyes at him.

'No,' I said simply as I pushed away from the wall, my eyes dark. 'Stiles told me everything.' His eyes widened at the information and he seemed lost for words, though I wasn't sure if it was just an act.

'I don't know what-.'

'Yeah, you do,' I interrupted him. 'I know about Donovan, the other chimera, and the little deal you two have.' I looked shocked as I approached him, but I didn't wait to gage is reaction or hear what he had to say. 'I've gotta hand it to you, you've done a great job at convincing them you're on their side,' I said. 'But you don't fool me.'

'I'm not fooling anyone,' he said with more confidence then I was expecting. 'I've shown them that they can trust me. All you've done is stir things up.' At his words, I grabbed the lacrosse stick from his hands and used it to push him against the lockers, the shaft across his chest and pinning him down. I was breathing heavily as I held him there, the unexplainable anger I felt towards him radiating off of me. I couldn't think of a come-back to say to him, so I went with what I had gone there to say.

'If you try to blackmail anyone I care about again, I'll kill you.' My tone was deadly serious, and he knew it. He stared back at me blankly for a moment before his lips curved into a smirk.

'You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?' he said and I gritted my teeth, ready to punch him in the face.

'What's going on in here?' The alpha's voice brought me back to my senses and I turned to meet the eyes of a confused Scott. I pulled back, letting the lacrosse stick drop to the floor.

'Nothing,' I replied smoothly as I stepped away from them. I noticed an equally confused looking Liam standing behind Scott, his brow furrowed as he eyed both of us.

'Are you okay?' the alpha asked in concern. I was about to snap back at him that I was fine when I noticed his line of sight. It was directed at Theo, not me. I folded my arms defensively across my chest and took an instinctive step towards the door.

'Fine,' Theo said with a nod as he brushed himself off. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence before the outside doors burst open and the rest of the lacrosse team entered, the locker room filling with noise. I passed my eyes from Scott to Theo one last time before slipping out of the locker room and down the corridor, feeling oddly judged.

I was sent looks of confusion and distaste as my leather clad form strutted down the corridors, the hallway now filled with students finding their way to their next class. I contemplated my next move, unsure where I should go next. Apart from what had happened between Stiles and Theo, nothing else seemed to be happening. I wanted to call Derek, but what good would that do. I found myself having the greatest urge to punch something.

Soon, the corridors had cleared of students and teachers and I was left alone, quizzical eyes now behind closed doors. Silence filled the school, the eerie calmness sending goose bumps up my arms. Then all of a sudden, I heard the echo of frantic footsteps coming from the stairwell, accompanied by an undeniable 'help!'

I whipped around and sprinted in the direction of the noise, my eyes catching sight of two boys stumbling down the stairs, one being heavily supported by the other. I rushed to them, recognising them as Mason and Corey. As they made it to the bottom of the stairs, Corey slipped from Mason's grasp and I caught him just in time, my arms snaking around his torso as I brought his arm over my shoulder.

'What happened?' I asked quickly, my concerned eyes trained on the silver fluid that was pouring from the teens nose and mouth.

'I dunno,' Mason said through heavy breaths and he supported his friend on the other side. 'He just started bleeding mercury.' The trail of silver ran over his lips and down his chin, dribbling onto his shirt and dripping onto the floor. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and dialled 911 immediately, requesting an ambulance at Beacon Hills High School.

'Does this mean I'm a failure?' Corey choked out, each word caused more mercury to spit from his mouth. Mason looked across to me for an answer, but all I could do was stare back. I wasn't going to reassure the boy that he would be okay when by the looks of it, he probably wasn't. I didn't want to give him or his friend false hope.

'We're gonna get you some help,' Mason assured him and I nodded to him, his words as comforting as being truthful could be.

We made it to the exit just as the paramedics pulled up to the school, Mason and I practically dragging Corey through the door.

'He just started bleeding everywhere,' Mason told the paramedics as we passed the teen over.

'Don't let them do it!' Corey tried to scream as he was lifted onto a gurney. 'Don't let them kill me!' We watched as he was lifted into the back of the ambulance and driven to the hospital. I spotted Scott in the crowd and ran to meet mine, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Theo was beside him when I reached him but I tried to ignore his presence.

'The doctors are gonna be after him, right?' I asked the alpha. Scott looked bewildered by the whole situation and I contemplated snapping my fingers in his face so he would pull it together. 'Shouldn't we follow him to the hospital?'

'Yeah, you're right,' Scott said, still a little absentminded. 'Me and Theo can go,' he said and I frowned, a little taken aback. 'Hayden could be next,' he suggested. 'You should stay here to protect her.' After a moment, I nodded in understanding and although I didn't like being side-lined to babysit the young beta's girlfriend, it was the least I could do to help.

* * *

Much to my annoyance, Liam and Hayden were nowhere to be found and to make matters worse, Corey had been killed at the hospital, not to mention another chimera, Beth, had been killed at the school. This meant it was even more likely that the Dread Doctors would be after Hayden so it was imperative that they were found. The body count was stacking up fast and something needed to be done about it.

I dialled the you'd beta's phone number for the fifteenth time that evening whilst I sped down the road and wasn't surprised when he didn't pick up. I groaned in annoyance, turning the corner and pulling up outside Scott's house. I hopped out of the car, practically sprinting to the front door and letting myself inside. I knew that Scott was out looking for Liam and Hayden too and I hoped I would be able to team up with him. I even thought that I could ask Melissa for some help if she was around. If we were to find Hayden and she started to bleed mercury, it may be useful to have someone with medical training around to help.

I called out for both of them when I made it through the door, running through to the living room. There was no sign of either of them. I grabbed my phone and decided to dial Liam's number one more time and a final attempt to reach him before heading out again in my car. After the fourth ring I was ready to hang up, only to be shocked when I heard a harsh _'what?'_ down the end of the line.

'Liam?' I asked in disbelief. 'Are you with Hayden?'

 _'Yeah,'_ he said with a sigh.

'Where the hell are you?' I yelled at him down the phone.

 _'Look, just tell Scott that Hayden and I are heading out of town,'_ he said, ready to hand up.

'Out of town?' I asked incredulously. 'Hayden's a chimera, Liam. She's gonna start bleeding mercury and then the doctors will be after her.' There was a silence down the phone and realisation hit me. 'She already has, hasn't she?'

 _'I can protect her from them,'_ he said, his voice determined but mostly desperate. _'I need to protect her.'_

'You can't protect her by yourself, Liam,' I told him. 'You're gonna get both of you killed!'

 _'You think I should trust you?'_ he asked harshly. _'I don't even know you.'_

'This isn't just going to blow over, Liam,' I said, trying to remain as calm as possible. 'They're gonna keep coming after you. They're not gonna stop.' I could hear him breathing down the line but he didn't reply. 'Liam,' I said his name down the phone but the boy didn't answer me. 'Liam, don't you dare-!' Dial tone. I groaned loudly, kicking over a box of DVDs on the coffee table.

'Well that conversation didn't sound very healthy.' The smooth voice came from behind me. My head whipped in its direction and my eyes fell on a figure leaning casually on the door frame.

'Why are you still alive?' I asked though gritted teeth. Theo laughed but the sound was empty.

'That's a little hypocritical of you, don't you think?' he asked, pushing away from the door frame and entering the room. My jaw tightened. I remained silent. 'So, what is the great Alexia Marshall doing in Scott McCall's house?' he asked sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes at him. He used my full name, my real name. There was no reason for it other than to show that he knew exactly who I was. Or to give the illusion that he did.

'Looking for Melissa,' I replied. 'What's your excuse?'

'Looking for you.' He sent me a smirk that made my skin crawl but I tried to keep my expression schooled.

'Well you found me,' I said, taking a step back as he took a step forward. 'What the fuck to you want?' He chuckled again, raising his hands in mock surrender.

'Don't get all defensive with me, Alexia, I just wanna talk,' he said.

'Call me Alexia one more time and I'll break your legs,' I spat. I didn't know what game he was trying to play, but I didn't like it. I had made it clear where I stood with him, so why was he here?

'You act like we're enemies,' he said, his hands finding the pockets of his jacket as he walked towards me.

'You're an arrogant asshole who blackmails my friends. We are enemies,' I replied, folding my arms in front of me. He was right beside me now. He leaned over, taking a moment before he spoke.

'We don't have to be,' he whispered, carrying on walking past me. I turned around to face him, thinking he might try and stab me in the back at any moment. 'You and I,' he said, gesturing between us, 'we're the same.' I scoffed at him, suddenly finding his words highly amusing.

'What twisted method did you use to work that one out?' I asked icily. He walked closer again.

'Think about it,' he whispered. 'You're an outlier in the pack, an anomaly.'

'I think you'll find most of us are anomalies,' I scoffed. _True alpha, banshee, kitsune, were-coyote… need I go on?_

'Yeah but not like you, not in the same way.' He caught my eye in his and the way he stared at me made me feel like he was looking straight into my mind and reading all my secrets like a book. 'You're different, Alex. They don't know where you came from, what happened to your parents, what you even are? How can they trust you when they know so little about you? They might say they do, but they'll never fully trust you,' he paused, 'just like they'll never fully trust me.'

'That's because you're a psychopathic asshole,' I spat back, my chest heaving as the adrenaline pumped through my veins.

'You're just angry because you know I'm right,' he said, making a circle around me again. I didn't turn to face him this time. I was frozen. 'They see you as this mystery,' he said, I could feel the warmth of his body behind me. 'A freak. An abomination' He pulled gently on a lock of my hair. 'They walk on eggshells around you.' I held my breath. 'I bet they even keep secrets from you.'

'No,' I whispered but the sound was almost inaudible. I could feel his breath on my neck.

'But you know what?' he said quietly, brushing the hair off of my shoulder. 'I can see you for who you really are:' He paused, his lips brushing my ear, his breath hot and calm. 'A miracle.'

This was dangerous, he was dangerous. He was trying to get in my head and a tiny part of me feared it was working. I turned around slowly, expecting to find a smirk on his face. I didn't. His expression was calm as he stared into my eyes. His gaze flickered down to my lips as he leaned in closer. I was about to speak but his hand came up to my face, his finger trailing over my lips to hush me. He continued to lean in as his hand moved to cup my cheek. In that moment, I knew he was going to kiss me, and the strangest part was that I wasn't sure if I was going to let him.

But when his lips were only centimetres from mine I raised my hand, my palm slapping him hard across the face. His hand moved straight from my cheek to his as he looked back at me in shock.

'I don't care if they don't trust me,' I said with new found confidence, 'as long as they're safe from people like you.' I made to leave but he caught my upper arm, pulling me back into him. His smooth, seductive act had vanished.

'I'll believe it when you do,' he said before I ripped myself away from him and out of the house.

* * *

 **AN: So that happened. Things have to get worse before they can get better...**

 **Sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I've been pretty busy recently and haven't had much time to work on this or my other story but hopefully updates will be more regular in the new year.**

 **Hope you all had a great Christmas! What did you get up to?**

 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter and where you think the story is heading! Much love x**


	12. Chapter 11 - Severed

I dislike very few people in the world, so it is a big thing for me to admit to myself that I actually hate someone. Okay, that's a lie. I dislike a lot of people. In fact, I would happily beat the crap out of someone who I found slightly irritating if it wasn't for the fact that I would get arrested and my friends would frown upon it. Even so, as I sat in my car outside the Sheriff's station, I found myself filled with a deep hatred and loathing for a particular teenage werewolf that had managed to get under my skin and make me red hot with rage in under a week. That was a new record.

Theo Raeken was the single most calculating, conceited and obnoxious asshole I had ever come across, perhaps only second to Peter Hale, and that was saying something. I think the thing that made me the most uncomfortable around him was the fact that I knew he could do nothing to physically damage me permanently, but there was still something intrinsically terrifying about him. He was calm, almost too calm. And smooth. I'm sure in another life he would be a real heart-breaker if he didn't come across as so sociopathic. He was a mind reader. Not in the psychic/magical crap kind of way, but in the way that felt like he knew exactly what you were thinking. The other thing I hated about him was the fact that he was all I seemed to think about since I had met him. _What was his next move going to be? Should I trust him. Do I need to warn Scott about him?_

It was those kinds of questions that lead me to my decision to head over to the station and have a chat with the Sherriff. I knew Stiles would likely hate me for what I was about to do, but honestly, I figured it was for the best. I jumped out of my car, my boots clicking on the tarmac as I walked through the entrance of the station.

It was busy inside, unsurprising given the spike in murders and disappearances. I looked around for the Sherriff, catching sight of a deputy I didn't recognise at the desk and heading straight over.

'I need to see the Sheriff,' I said to the deputy casually as I continued to walk past her to Stilinski's office. She quickly stopped me and I stared back at her, unfamiliar with the feeling of being stopped from doing something.

'I'm afraid that won't be possible,' she said clearly. 'You can come back in the morning.' I clicked my tongue as I turned back to face her fully. There was something about her that seemed familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.

'Excuse me?' I asked, raising a brow at her. Usually the person on the other end of my stare caved immediately but she didn't seem even remotely intimidated.

'The Sheriff isn't available for any new cases,' she said a little louder than before. I folded my arms over my chest, not breaking eye contact with her.

'Deputy…' I glanced down at her name badge effortlessly. 'Clarke.' I paused, taking a moment as I swallowed. 'I'm not here for a new case. The Sheriff and I are...friends.' I trailed off at the end, my words sounding almost comically awkward. She smiled tightly at me.

'Really?' she asked as she narrowed her eyes at me. 'I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you new to town?' My jaw clenched.

'I've lived here for a while, actually. Just took a little vacation,' I replied, smiling falsely at her. She returned it in the same manor.

'Well welcome back,' she said. She said nothing more, clearly prompting me to leave, but I remained where I was, ready for another comeback when I heard the sound of a door opening to my right.

I caught sight of the Sheriff as I turned from the deputy at the desk. He hurried through the door as if he was in a great rush, his eyes intense like his mind was racing at a thousand miles a second. I stepped away from the desk, the deputy out of my thoughts straight away and caught him just as he passed me. He whirled around in shock. After a moment, the surprise in his eyes faded into understanding and he released a breath.

'Alex.' He breathed my name like it was a relief and a burden. 'Sorry, I'm still not used to having you around again," he said with a small chuckle. I smiled a little in response. I had seen him a few times since my return to Beacon Hills, but it had been months before that when I had left so it was understandable.

'You heard about Parrish?' he questioned as more of a statement of what he thought fact, thinking that was the likely reason I had come to the station. I frowned.

'Parrish? No, I um…' I paused as I watched him glance at his watch. He was clearly in a hurry and I deliberated leaving what I had to say for another few days. This was my last chance to change my mind, to go back on my decision to let him know the truth. _Would Stiles ever forgive me?_ I needed to take the plunge. Jump of the cliff. Hurl myself into the darkness…

'I need to talk to you about Theo Raeken,' I said boldly. 'It's important.'

The sheriff sighed, his eyes casting down to the floor before they met mine again and he guided me towards the wall so we could talk with a little more privacy. 'Don't worry, he already beat you to it,' he replied. My brow furrowed in confusion.

'Beat me to what?' I asked, starting to grow concerned and I must admit, frustrated. I hated being the one in the dark.

'Theo told me everything,' he said. 'He told me what happened to Donovan, and if you ask me, it sounded like it was self-defence.' I took a step back in shock.

'He told you everything?' I asked as I narrowed my eyes, not believing what I was hearing.

'Yeah,' he said, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening in.

'What are you gonna do about it?' I asked, wondering what the Sheriff could do with the knowledge that his son had killed someone in his town. He sighed.

'I dunno, Alex, what can I do?' he said with a frown but still remaining hushed. 'I don't think Theo meant to kill the Donovan.' If it were possible, my eyes grew even wider as I bit my lip to stop myself from yelling.

'Wait, Theo said _he_ killed Donovan?' I asked as realisation of how I had misinterpreted all the Sheriff had said sunk in. He looked confused as my heart rate picked up.

'Yeah, of course he killed Donovan,' he replied with a shake of his head, creases appearing on his forehead an around his eyes as he raised an eyebrow at me. 'Alex, is there something else I should know?' His question came with a tone that sounded like he really wanted the answer to be no. I shook my head.

'No,' I said quickly. 'No that was all.' He didn't seem to pick up on my lie and I was glad for that. He didn't need to know the truth right now. In hindsight, he didn't need to know until Stiles was ready to tell him. And he didn't need to know until I had worked out what game Theo was playing. He gave me one last look before he nodded, his mind racing onto the next thing he needed to worry about.

'Good,' he replied. ''Cause I've got two dead teenagers and a deputy gone AWOL.' I didn't reply as he left, simply nodding in understanding as I walked over to the wall. The station was still in chaos but, in that moment, it seemed like I was the only one there. I leant my back against the wall, closing my eyes as I let my head fall back against it. _Had I made the right decision to come back to Beacon Hills?_ I wasn't sure that one was the question that needed an answer. _Should I have left in the first place?_ That one was perhaps more important.

* * *

His back was to me when I entered the room of the holding cell, Lydia waiting right outside the door. I moved slowly so he wouldn't hear my footsteps, unsure of what I should say first. The Sheriff had tried first to see if he could convince the deputy to leave the cell but after Lydia had failed too they thought I should give it a go. I wasn't sure why they thought I was qualified. Perhaps they thought I was experienced. I wasn't. I was much better at getting into jail than getting out of it.

'Funny,' I said, my voice clear echoing as Parrish turned around to look at me. 'Last time we were here I was on your side of the bars.' I stopped when I made it half way to the bars, my leather clad arms folded over my chest as I let a smirk form on my lips.

'Alex,' he said in greeting like he was surprised to see me. 'Lydia said you were back. I gotta say I'm pretty glad to see you.'

'Me too.' I smiled a little in response before I let any happiness present in my features drop from my expression. 'What the hell are you doing?' He looked a little taken aback by the harshness of my voice, but most likely of all the despair and defeat he must have heard.

'It's me. I'm the one taking he bodies,' he said as if it would be new information to me.

'I know,' I replied.

'Then you know that I have to stay in here. I'm dangerous, Alex,' he said, his eyes sad and fearful. 'I'll put everyone in danger.'

'Danger?' I asked incredulously. 'We're already in danger, Parrish and we need everyone we can get to help us.'

'That's true,' he replied calmly. 'But it can't be me. Not right now.' I knew from the way he grimaced at me that he could sense my disappointment.

'They can't keep you in here like this,' I said. 'The Sheriff wouldn't allow it.' He took a deep breath, his lungs inflating fully before he released it again in a sigh.

'It's not his choice, it's mine,' he replied. 'I'm sorry, Alex.' I released a sigh of my own.

'Me too,' I replied, spinning of my heel as I made for the exit. 'Have fun in jail,' I added, heading through the door. I could feel his eyes on my back the whole way.

I strode quickly through the bustling station, mumbling a quick response to Lydia's questions before I was out of sight. As I walked through the parking lot I felt my phone buzz in my back pocket and I reached to pull it out, seeing that I had a message from Scott.

 _We found Liam and Hayden. Hayden hurt. Meet us at the Animal Clinic ASAP._

I sent a quick reply before picking up the pace to get to my car. The rain had started to come down, the imagery of it and the feeling of impending doom that pervaded the air not helping me remain calm. I pulled out of the station, my wipers on full as the rain pelted down more and more. The roads were slick and if I wasn't in a rush I probably would have considered driving slower. But I was in a rush and road safety was never one to be high up my priotiry list. Not that it wasn't important, I just had other things to worry about.

I had been driving for maybe just under ten minutes when I took a right off the main road when suddenly a vehicle appeared out of nowhere. I slammed my feet down on the breaks, the emergency stop making my seat belt dig in to my shoulder. I was glad I had decided to wear it for one otherwise I might have gone straight through the wind shield. My car skidded to a stop and I cursed loudly at the dangerous driver in front of me who had pulled out without looking. As I squinted though the rain, I could just about make out the pale blue of a jeep.

I huffed in irritation as I swung my door open and rushed to the jeep just as Stiles rolled down the window.

'What the hell was that?' I asked when I made it, my lips snapping shut when I saw the look on his face. His skin was completely pale white as I stared at him, all apart from around his eyes where the skin was red and puffy. He had been crying. 'Stiles, are you okay?'

'Yeah, yeah,' he said shakily as he wiped his hand over his face. I could feel the rain seeping thought my jacket and onto my skin, the icy temperature causing me to shiver. 'Um, Hayden's at the animal clinic.' The words came out hesitantly like they were an after-thought and my frown deepened.

'I know, Scott texted me.' At the mention of his friend, Stiles tensed, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. He wouldn't look me in the eye. 'Stiles, why aren't you there?'

'I was, I-I uh, I need to talk to my dad.' I nodded wearily at him, unsure what to do. 'I gotta go,' he said suddenly, putting the jeep in gear and reading himself to pull away.

'Stiles, wait, what happened?' I asked as the engine revved. 'Stiles!' But he was gone, the jeep pulling away from right next to me. I stepped back as it did, taking a distraught Stiles with it.

* * *

I finally made it to the animal clinic, my clothes dripping from the rain as I pushed through the glass doors.

'Alex?' I heard Scott shout from the examination room. He ran out to meet me in the reception area. 'What took you so long?' he asked and I was taken aback by his abruptness. He looked stressed.

'Sorry,' I apologised, a little flustered. 'I ran into Stiles on the way here.' He looked nervous at the mention of his friend, a knowing look in his eyes. 'Did something happen?'

'No, nothing. We just-,' he paused, trying to find the right words. I knew from the state Stiles had been in that it had certainly not been nothing. 'We just argued.' I tried believing him, but something wasn't adding up. There was something in his eyes, something like betrayal or complete defeat. Then it hit me.

'You know about Donovan, don't you?' I said. His eyes fell for a second before they reconnected with mine.

'Yeah,' he said with a sigh before suddenly looking back up at me. 'You knew?' he asked and I nodded. 'How long?'

'He told me a few days ago,' I admitted, remembering how shaken and terrified he was. The thought of Stiles in such a situation made me want to vomit.

'Why didn't you tell me,' he asked, his tone accusatory. I stared back at him disbelievingly.

'It wasn't my secret to tell,' I told him, my brow furrowed. His expression concerned me, it was sad and lost. His eyes were distrusting.

'Well he didn't tell me,' Scott said, almost as if it were some kind of betrayal. 'I had to hear it from Theo.'

'Theo?' I asked, shaking my head. _Of course, it was fucking Theo._ 'Bet he couldn't wait to let you know.'

'Don't try and turn this on him,' Scott said, starting to raise his voice. 'He didn't kill anyone.' His words were surprisingly hurtful, the jab clearly not one just meant for Stiles.

'Stiles didn't have a choice, Scott,' I said, exaggerating each word so it would get through to him.

'There's always a choice,' he said back. Anger erupted inside of me but I tried to keep it in. _What on earth was he on about._

'Do you hear yourself right now?' I asked incredulously. 'Your acting like he didn't something unforgivable.' I couldn't understand why he was being how he was. My only explanation for it was that Theo had gotten into his head.

'Stiles killed Donovan,' Scott said. My teeth were gritted together.

'So, what? Are you gonna turn him in?' I asked, my voice raising once again. 'I've killed before too, Scott. You wanna sling me in jail too?' I took a step back, a flash of what seemed like fear in his eyes at my words. Before then I never thought I gesture minute could cause so much pain.

'Mason saw you,' he said out of nowhere.

'What?' I asked, confused.

'He saw you and Theo at my house,' he repeated. 'He saw you with him.' My stomach dropped to the ground at the thought of what he was insinuating and I had the strong urge to gag.

'That's bullshit and you know it,' I shot back, trying to dismantle any thoughts he had about me and, dare I say it, Theo.

'Do I?' he asked. I thought his remark very childish.

'If you have something to say, Scott, just say it.'

'I don't know what to say to you, Alex,' he replied. I rolled my eyes.

'You think something's going on between me and that piece of crap, is that it?' I asked, gesturing to the examination room where I assumed Theo was with Hayden. It took all I had not to storm in there and rip his guts out.

'I don't know! I don't know what to think.'

'Then tell me what you do know, Scott,' I spat at him.

'I know that – that you're unpredictable. I can't understand what you do half the time.' He paused. 'And I-.'

'And what?' He took a breath.

'You left with Derek to keep us all safe, but we aren't. Maybe it was better when you were gone.' He words affected me more than I thought words from him could and I found myself holding back tears.

'Hey! They asked me to come back, remember?' I said, referring to Stiles and Lydia. 'I was doing just fine keeping the hell away from this town before they dragged me back.'

'Then why did you come back at all?' he asked in a yell. 'If life was so perfect away from Beacon Hills, why would you even bother?!' His shout was met with an eerie silence that made me want to scream. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I could have taken it from almost anyone else, even expected it from some of them. But not from him. Not what he was the only one who had trusted me from the beginning. That was all gone now. Our mutual respect and trust for one another had disappeared, out bond severed.

'Fuck you,' mumbled under my breath as I looked at him for one last time in the eye. Although it was quiet, I knew he had heard it. He was the alpha after all. A look of regret washed over him but he didn't say a word.

Shouts came from the examination room and Scott's attention was drawn away from me to the dying Chimera. He didn't have to ask me to leave, I knew I needed to. I slipped from the small room out into the expanse of the car part, the rain still plummeting down. I looked up to the sky, but it was too dark to even see the clouds. I climbed into my car and started the engine. As I pulled out of the lot I found myself wondering where to go. But most importantly, I found myself wondering if I should ever stop driving. Should I stop until I'd made it out of Beacon Hills for good?

* * *

 **AN: Hope you liked that chapter. Would love some feedback on the story so far to hear how you're finding it.**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	13. Chapter 12 - Hold On Tight

_(5 months ago)_

 _A smile crossed my lips as I heard the sound of my wolf breathing heavily next to me. I leaned into his side, pulling the covers over both of us as he draped an arm around my shoulders._

 _'_ _You're amazing,' he told me, a sparkle lighting up he green iris' that I couldn't get enough of. I leaned over him, capturing his lips with mine in a lingering kiss._

 _'_ _I know,' I said with a smirk as I pulled away, resting my head on his bare chest. Derek and I hadn't really left the loft since returning from Mexico. Hell, he had barely left the bed. Not that I was complaining. We had christened the couch, the shower, even the table. We breathed every perfect moment together and the truth was, I couldn't get enough of being in his presence._

 _I loved the feeling of his body next to mine. He gave off a warmth that was inhuman, unsurprising considering he was a werewolf. I felt safe in his arms, a feeling I couldn't take for granted. It was a luxury. I treasured everything about him. Every detail. His eyes. His lips. His tattoo._

 _'_ _What're you thinking about?' he asked after a while of us just enjoying being in the company of one another._

 _'_ _Who says I'm thinking about anything,' I asked with a smile as I snuggled into him further._

 _'_ _You're tracing a triskelion with your fingers,' he pointed out. I looked over to where my fingertips were brushing lightly against the skin on his chest. I hadn't noticed I was doing it in a particular pattern._

 _'_ _Do you think I would be able to get a tattoo?' I asked as a reply. It wasn't something I was particularly concerned with, merely one of the many unanswered questions I had about my ability. 'I mean, I always figured that it wouldn't work, but you've got one, right? And Scott?'_

 _'_ _Do you want a tattoo?' he asked a little sceptically. I smiled._

 _'_ _I dunno,' I replied. 'When I was a kid, I used to want one.'_

 _'_ _Oh yeah?'_

 _'_ _Mmm,' I mumbled as a reply. 'I used to draw the outline of Texas on my ankle in black felt tip?'_

 _'_ _Texas?' he asked in surprise. 'You're not from Texas._

 _'_ _I had this friend who was,' I explained. 'She wanted one on her right ankle. I wanted one on my left.' Derek snorted._

 _'_ _Wow,' he chuckled. 'I wouldn't've picked you as someone who'd have matching tattoos.' I hit his arm playfully as he mocked me._

 _'_ _Don't laugh, you know what kids are like,' I defended, laughing with him. He pressed his lips to the top of my head affectionately. 'So, do you think I could get one?'_

 _'_ _Honestly, I have no idea,' he replied. 'It worked for Scott and I, but you heal much faster than a werewolf.' I nodded in response, pondering his answer. 'Have you told them yet?' he asked, changing the subject to something a little less theoretical. I cringed._

 _'_ _Not yet,' I replied. I felt him shift underneath me._

 _'_ _Alex,' he said and I knew if I looked he would be rolling his eyes. 'We're leaving town tomorrow night.'_

 _'_ _I know,' I replied. 'We're meeting at Scott's house in the morning,' I informed him. 'I'll tell them then.'_

 _'_ _Okay,' he replied. 'You nervous?' I sighed._

 _'_ _A little,' I said, turning around to face he. He sent me a reassuring smile._

 _'_ _You want me to come with you?' he asked. I leant forward and pressed my lips to his once again._

 _'_ _That's okay,' I replied, rolling over and slipping out of the bed from under the covers. 'You can stay here and pack.' I heard him groan loudly in response and I smirked, before I felt something soft collided with the back of my head. I whipped around, sending an innocent looking Derek a harsh glare._

 _'_ _You picked a fight with the wrong girl,' I replied darkly, before picking up the pillow from the floor and hurtling it back at him before running back to the bed. Back into his arms._

* * *

I felt the cold more than usual as I ascended the concrete stairs. I had debated in my head whether I should've taken the lift, but in the end I decided the exercise would be good for me – I needed to work off my anger. When I arrived at the top, I rummaged in my pocket for the set of keys. Derek had given to me just before we left Oregon, but I hadn't used them since coming back to Beacon Hills. I hadn't seen the point, until now.

I jammed the key in the lock, turning it until it clicked open and the large metal padlock fell to the ground, along with the chain. It clinked as the links fell on top of one another and I watched it snake into a pile at my feet. I grabbed the handle of the door in both hands and pulled back, putting my weight behind the manoeuvre so it would slide open.

The loft was dark, the air freezing. The only light came from the nearly full moon that shone through the large window, casting long shadows across the floor. Tomorrow was the supermoon, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I stepped inside the dark room, the sound of my boots clicking on the floor echoing eerily.

It seemed emptier than before, the absence of its former resident not being the only thing that made me think so. The metal table was still there, along with the couch and the bed. But something was missing. The building had almost seemed alive when I was there last. The air buzzed with activity and life. Now it seemed dulled. Matte. It put me on edge.

I walked to the table and rested against it, my palms braced against the edge as I squeezed my eyes shut. How had everything gotten so screwed up? I took a breath as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, calling the one person I knew would be able to tell me everything would be okay and sound like he meant it, even if he didn't.

I bit my lip as it rang. Once. Twice. A third time. Bloody voice message. I huffed in irritation which was really just my desperation wearing a frown.

'Hey, Derek, it's me,' I said into the phone. 'You're probably busy or asleep…' I realised out loud. It was nearing four o'clock in the morning. 'So, I guess just call me back when you get this.' I took a breath as I waited, something inside of me hoping he would answer, but knowing he wouldn't.

'I miss you,' I whispered before hanging up and shoving the phone into my jeans. I was left again in the silence, my heart thudding in my chest so loudly I could hear it in my ears. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Then I snapped.

I stepped back away from the table, my boot coming up and colliding with the side of it and pushing it over. The sound of the metal connecting with the flood sounded like a gun shot. I screamed as I did it, running over to the couch and pulling the cushions off of it and kicking over the coffee table.

Then I was beside the bed, my fingers ripping at the sheets to pull them off the mattress. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand feeling so utterly alone. Once the bed was stripped I found myself kneeling on the mattress as I punched it as hard as I could. I could hear the springs popping underneath me with every impact but I didn't stop. I wanted to scream until my throat was raw, but I knew I would never make it to that. My ability wouldn't allow it. I could feel the tears that had dripped down my cheeks but I didn't bother to wipe them away. _What was the point?_

I sat on the edge of the bed, my feet just off the floor as I kicked off my boots. I thought coming back would be comforting for me. That in returning to a place I had felt warmth and love from the man I cared about the most would convince me to stay in Beacon Hills. If not for _them_ , then for him. They had been his friends before they had been mine, so I owed it to him to stick around and see it through to the end. To keep them safe for Derek. But being in the loft without my green-eyed wolf wasn't the same. Without him, it could have been any old room. And I felt no comfort in being surrounded my its high ceilings and dimly lit air.

I wasn't sure what I had planned to do next, but I stood up, perhaps wanted to leave before I had a nervous breakdown. _Could I even have one of those?_ As I did, my socked foot pressed into something soft on the floor. I looked down to see a piece of navy fabric. I frowned at it before bending down and picking it up, unscrunching it to reveal a t-shirt.

I recognised it. It was one of Derek's. The same one he had worn on our last night in the loft. _He must've left it here._ I sat back down on the bed and buried my face in it, inhaling the familiar scent of my green-eyed wolf. I usually found it intoxicating, but now it was more soothing than anything. It was a piece of him, a piece I could hold onto and take strength from and that one day, he would hold me in his arms, and I would feel safe once again.

I pulled off my jacket and pulled the white top over my head before unbuttoning my jeans. The cold air hit me hard, but I didn't care. I pulled the t-shirt over my head, the soft fabric hanging down to my mid-thigh. I crawled back to the centre of the bed and curled up, pulling the shirt over my knees so I was completely surrounded. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the tears start to form in my eyes once again. I cursed myself inwardly, feeling so pathetic. I hated feeling weak, but I realised then that sometimes, I needed moments like these. Moments to myself. Moments to be vulnerable.

Just because I could heal, doesn't mean I couldn't break.

* * *

I woke the next day to the sun beating through the window. It took me a moment to realise where I was and when I finally did, I didn't feel any better. I dressed quickly, shoving Derek's navy shirt into my bag before tidying up the mess I had made the night before.

By the time I made it to my car, the fact that it was the day of the supermoon hit me and I felt like I should've been more frightened of it. Or maybe that I should've been concerned for the werewolves of Beacon Hills. The supermoon meant they would be stronger and more aggressive, and with the way things were going, it meant more casualties.

My first instinct was to back to the station and convince Parrish that he was being an idiot, let him out of the cell and get him to help, but I knew he probably wouldn't be up for it. Of course, the overwhelming urge to just run as far away from Beacon Hills was also there, but I fought it back. I had to stick this out until the end. If I wasn't here, I'd just be sitting in an apartment in Oregon all alone with an occasional visit from Marty who would try to cheer me up after asking what the hell had happened. That wasn't a good idea either.

My thoughts were interrupted by the obnoxious sound of my phone ringing. I groaned as I pulled it out of my pocket and saw the caller ID.

'Melissa,' I greeted, though I couldn't say I was particularly happy to hear her voice.

'Alex, we're moving Hayden to the hospital,' she said quickly before she paused. I knew she was waiting for a reply, for me to agree to come along and lend a hand. I remained silent. 'We could really use your help.'

'Look, Melissa, I really don't think it's neccassary,' I replied bluntly.

'Not neccassary?' she questioned. 'A teenage girl is going to die!'

'Yeah, you're right,' I replied. 'A teenage girl is going to die, whether I'm there or not.' If we were closer than a phone call apart I bet she would have throttled me.

'What the hell is wrong with you?' she asked accusingly, as if I was acting strangely out of character. I had merely regressed into my usual state of rational thinking.

'Ask your son,' I said harshly before hanging up. I instantly regretted the entire conversation but I was too angry with Scott to take it back. He had hurt me in ways I never knew he could, and if I was honest, I didn't want to see him at all. Not for a long time. I put the car into gear and drove, leaving the left behind in my rear-view mirror. I needed to figure out my next move, not sit around feeling sorry for myself.

As I drove, I began to feel a sense of guilt gripping me from the inside. The girl, Hayden was dying. Although I didn't particularly care for her or her beta boyfriend with the anger issues, I felt it was probably the right thing to go to the hospital.

But no. I couldn't cave that easily. If I was anything, I was stubborn, and I wasn't going to go to the hospital.

As I rounded the next corner, I heard my phone buzz. Leaning over the passenger seat, I check who it was from.

 _Malia._

I checked the message.

 _At the hospital. Need you._

'Are you fricking kidding me?' I asked no one in particularly. If there was a god of karma, he was laughing right at me. I did a U turn in the middle of the road, not caring I was breaking at least five traffic laws, and sped towards the hospital, my foot flat on the floor.

* * *

The fourth-floor corridor of the hospital was a mess. It was under construction, likely due to the carnage that had occurred there over the past year or so. I stepped carefully, avoiding the tools and rubble that littered the floor when I came across something that made my stomach churn. At first, I thought it was a blood bag, one of the ones they use for transfusions, but when I looked closer, I could see that it had to words 'donor marrow' written on in bold letters.

I kicked it away to the side, disgust written on my face. As I pushed on further down the corridor, I could hear grunting, followed my movement and a growl. I grabbed my Glock that was hidden safely down the back of my jeans and brought it up in front of me, my finger braced on the trigger.

I crept as quietly as possible. I knew Malia was somewhere here, but what shape I would find her in I did not know. Suddenly, a deeper growl sounded and I looked up to see the silhouette of two figures through the plastic sheeting. With a deep breath, I pulled it out of the way, my eyes falling on a wolfed out (or coyoted out) Malia and what looked like a Chimera pushing her up against the wall.

'Hey!' I yelled, catching the attention of both of them. The chimera had a long bony spike protruding from his wrist and his face was covered in marrow. I wanted to gag at the sight, but stayed focused whilst I had his attention away from Malia. My first instinct was the shoot him between the eyes, but I knew that wasn't the right thing. So, I fought against it, expertly firing so the bullet grazed his left shoulder. It gave enough of an impact to send him back on the ground, but little enough to not be fatal. I stepped forward, perhaps to knock him out, but he was up and away before I had a chance, sprinting further down the corridor away.

I ran to Malia as her eyes changed back from their electric blue. The sight of them made my heart ache, but I had to keep it together. I still couldn't get my head around the fact that she and Derek were cousins. But to be honest, I was still struggling to understand how anyone could have a baby with Peter Hale, even if it was the Desert Wolf.

'Are you okay?' I asked the coyote, my eyes glancing over her form to make sure there wasn't too much damage.

'Fine,' she replied with a nod. I released a breath I didn't realised I'd been holding.

'Good. What the hell was that thing?' I asked.

'Another Chimera,' she replied. 'Theo said there were two more.'

'Theo?' I asked with a frown. 'You should be careful of him.'

'I can take care of myself,' she replied, ignoring my warning. I smiled a little as she started down the corridor and I followed after. She reminded me of me.

'What else did Theo say?' I asked. She stopped walking a turned around to face me.

'He knows I'm looking for the Desert Wolf,' she replied seriously.

'Does he know you want to kill her?' I asked. Her eyebrows flew up in shock, her jaw clenching slightly.

'How'd you know?'

'When you called me in Oregon, Malia, and asked me to help find your serial killer mother, I figured it wasn't for a family reunion,' I said matter of factly.

'Did you tell anyone?' she asked with a deep breath. I rolled my eyes.

'What would be the use in that?' She seemed to accept my answer and we continued to walk in silence out to the parking lot. As we approached our cars, I realised I hadn't gone to check up on Melissa and Hayden, cursing myself for being so stupid. I turned, ready to give my excuses to Malia when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket again.

I pulled it out, surprised at seeing who it was from. But as I opened the message, my stomach dropped to the floor and a chill ran up my spine.

'What?' Malia asked when she noticed me stop dead in my tracks, my eyes transfixed on my phone screen. 'Who's it from?'

'Argent,' I replied as I let my eyes scan the message once again, making sure I had understood it perfectly. 'She's coming,' I said, looking from my phone to the coyote standing in front of me, her short hair blowing in the increasing breeze. 'The Desert Wolf is coming to Beacon Hills.'

* * *

 **AN: So that was chapter 12! Hope you liked it!**

 **I feel like this one felt a bit short, but hopefully the next one will be longer. Also, check out the poll on my profile about this story :)**

 **Let me know what you thought and have a great weekend :D much love x**


	14. Chapter 13 - Superhuman

Guilt racked my body as I stared down at the brunette girl, the beeping of the heart monitor the only indication that she was still alive. I had left Malia in the parking lot just over half an hour ago, so she could continue the search for the other chimera whilst I helped Melissa with Hayden. However, if I was honest, I wasn't sure the girl could be helped. Her body was filled with mercury, her skin breaking out into metallic wheels on her neck and shoulders.

Melissa frantically tried to think of ways to help her while the boy, Mason, and I watched on in horror.

'Melissa,' I said quietly as she pushed another drug into the IV. 'I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner-.'

'You're an adult, Alex. You make your own decisions,' she said sharply. My eyes widened a little in shock at her bold statement but I didn't comment on it. One of the things that made me warm to her in the first place was that she never seemed afraid of me. I bit my lip, still feeling a little guilty. Whatever Melissa gave Hayden in the IV, it didn't help. She sighed and looked up to meet my eyes. 'You're here now, that's what matters.'

Suddenly, the EKG machine started to beep erratically.

'No, no, no,' Melissa said as she checked the monitors. I looked too but I didn't understand what they said. It was all just numbers to me.

'What's happening?' I asked frantically, desperate to help.

'She's crashing,' Melissa said, her fingers laced in her hair as she tried to figure out what to do. 'Her heart isn't strong enough.'

'What can I do?' I asked. Mason looked like he was about to throw up.

'Get Liam,' she said, grabbing another syringe full of something from a draw. I turned to Mason who was staring at Hayden in shock and nudged his arm, perhaps a little harder than necessary. He looked at me quizzically and I raised an eyebrow at him. He got the message and stepped out to call the beta in question.

I turned back to Melissa just as she sent the needle into the IV and pushed the plungers. Hayden seemed to tense for a moment before she relaxed, her head lulling to the side though her eyes remained open.

'What was that?' I asked softly as I stared at the sick girl.

'Morphine,' Melissa replied. Her voice was hushed as if she didn't want Mason to overhear outside the room.

'That's for pain, right?' I asked in clarification, my brows knitted together. 'That won't help her heart.' Melissa sighed as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. She looked incredibly stressed and most of all, exhausted.

'I know,' she said regretfully. 'I've tried everything I can think of and she's still getting worse. All we can do now is wait and make her comfortable.' I glanced over to the dark-haired woman but her sad eyes were fixed on Hayden. I wondered for a second if she was going to cry. I wasn't sure how I would comfort her if she did.

'Wait?' I whispered. 'You mean until she dies.' She looked away from Hayden to cast me a look. I realised then that I wasn't sadness in her eyes, it was defeat. She didn't say anything, the silence between us being interrupted by the door swinging open, Mason breathing heavily as he stumbled back in.

'He's not answering,' he breathed, shoving his phone back into his jacket pocket.

'If Liam wants to be with her, he needs to get here now,' Melissa instructed Mason. 'Because she's dying, and I don't know what else to do.' At that moment, there was a splutter and I turned around to see that Hayden was choking up a grotesque silvery liquid. Mercury. I had seen many things over the years, many horrible things, but I had never seen anything quite like that.

'Go,' Melissa told Mason as she rushed to wipe away the metallic fluid that was dribbling down Hayden's chin. 'I will text you if anything changes. Just get him here, Mason.' She looked up, sending the boy a pointed look before turning back to the girl. Mason turned around, heading for the door.

'You too, Alex,' she said without looking up. I heard Mason stop at the door and I frowned.

'What?'

'Go with him, I know he'll be safe with you,' she said in that weird motherly tone that sounded calm and urgent at the same time.

'But I -.'

'Dammit, Alex, would you for once just do what you're told!' she said sternly, her voice raised. I stood back in shock at the outburst. Not many people had the balls to try to tell me what to do – and that was the second time today she had raised her voice at me. I guess she knew I respected her enough to listen to her. I heard Mason click his tongue awkwardly behind me and I turned from Melissa, sending her a nod before I said to the door.

'Let's go.'

* * *

The bright moon shone through the trees, casting shadows through the windscreen. I hadn't even bothered asking Mason whether he had driven to the hospital. It was obvious we would be taking my car – I didn't like been driven my teenagers (excluding Stiles) and besides, I was an excellent driver.

'I'm sorry about your friend,' I said, kind of out of the blue. The car journey had been tense so far, not because there was a particular tension between myself and the teen next to me but because that we generally how things were in Beacon Hills. Especially when I was around. I decided I would try and start a conversation with the kid to try and relax the situation a bit, but I then realised I probably hadn't chosen the best topic for that.

'What do you mean?' he asked. I thought it was pretty obvious. _Um, that friend of yours that we dragged down the high school corridor a few days ago, who ended up dead._ I cleared my throat.

'Corey,' I replied, silently hoping I had remembered his name correctly. I glanced at him briefly in the passenger seat to see a wave of recognition wash over his eyes. I had remembered right.

'Yeah, me too,' he agreed. 'I just feel like so many people have died recently, you just get a little desensitised to it, you know?' I snorted at the irony.

'Tell me about it,' I muttered.

'You can heal, right?' he asked, but it was less of a question and more of a clarification. I was surprised at how out rightly he asked. But then again, we were in a life or death situation, even if it wasn't our lives that were on the line. There was no time nor need for pleasantries. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to pry,' he said quickly when I didn't reply for a while.

'You weren't,' I replied truthfully. 'Just still haven't gotten used to the fact that my ability is common knowledge. There was a time when I was the only one who knew about it.'

'Liam told me,' he said. My statement about people knowing of my ability wasn't meant to prompt a confession from him about where he heard it. The strange thing for me is that I actually didn't mind people knowing. Even if I didn't trust them all, it just seemed to make things a lot easier. 'He told me about you and everyone else when I first found out about the supernatural.'

'Huh,' I mused. 'What else did Liam say?' My question came accompanied by a perfectly arched eyebrow. I had a strange flashback to sitting in Marty's apartment back in Oregon, sipping on a coffee whilst she caught me up on the week's gossip.

'He said you were kinda hot,' he said a little flatly and I had to supress a snort of laughter. That wasn't what I had meant at all when I asked what else Liam had said and I think Mason knew it. He was probably just trying to lighten the incredibly damp mood that was infecting the entire town.

'Hope I didn't disappoint,' I asked with a small smirk, still a little disbelieving at what he had said. I caught the hint of a small smile on his lips before it faded away.

'You're not really my type,' he replied, his eyes cast out the passenger window, gaze on the supermoon. I glanced up at it, subconsciously putting my foot down a little further on the accelerator.

'Thank god,' I replied flatly. 'Last thing I need is someone else trying to get in my pants.' He shot me a look and I wondered if I had shared maybe a little too much. What the hell. I didn't care enough about what people thought for his opinion to matter. Speaking of opinions I didn't care about…

'By the way, thanks for dumping me in it with Scott the other day,' I said to the teen next to me. He gave me a confused look. 'About Theo?'

'I just told him what I saw,' he replied in defence. 'And by the looks of it, you two were getting pretty close.' I rolled my eyes. _Kids_.

'Yeah well, if you had stayed a little longer you would have seen my right hook tell him just how close we are,' I said flatly. He released a breath and closed his eyes, realising his mistake.

'Ah crap. I'm so-.'

'Forget it,' I said, glancing over to him in the passenger seat, He didn't need to apologise. 'This is what he wants.' I had been thinking it for a while but only now were the pieces starting to fit together, the whole picture becoming clearer as if the proverbial fog was getting thinner. In the last day or so, Scott had managed to not only piss me off but had also managed to anger Liam and cause Stiles to go into what I assumed was a full on melt down. God knows where Lydia was. I hadn't heard from her in days. Even Malia was off on her own, the only person she had told about her plans for her mother being me, though she had always been somewhat of a lone wolf. Pun intended. 'Theo wants us at each other's throats,' I told Mason, though I was really just talking to myself, my thoughts needing to escape my racing mind. 'He wants us pulled apart, breaking at the seams.'

'Divide and conquer, right?' Mason proposed.

'Right,' I said quietly, deep in thought. It was obvious he had already managed half of his plan and I dreaded to see how the other half unfolded.

* * *

I didn't even bother to wait for the teen when we arrived at the school. I had leapt from the vehicle as soon as the key was out of the ignition, sprinting towards he library, ignoring the sound of Mason's phone ringing. I could get there faster on my own and I didn't want him getting caught in the crossfire between two werewolves influenced by the supermoon.

I kicked open the doors to the library, spotting two figures as the rolled down the stairs in a brawl. At first I thought it would be Theo and Scott but when I looked closer, I noticed it was Liam. _What the fuck was going on?_ He looked angry, more so than usual, and as the young beta recovered from the fall he began the thrash his claws at Scott, sharp nails shredding skin.

I gave the mountain ash barrier no second thought as I jumped over it, launching myself across the table. My body collided with Liam's as I simultaneously wrapped my arms around my torso. He was strong and considerably stronger than me so it took my full weight to knock him away from Scott. His face was completely wolfed out, as was Scott's.

'Easy,' I warned, hoping I had managed to calm him down, realised I most definitely hadn't when he landed a kick to my gut, my body flying backwards into a bookcase. _Fuck he was strong._ Seemingly thinking that he had put me out of action, he turned back to Scott, amber eyes focused on the alpha with such murderous intent a part of me was actually scared.

I recovered quickly from the blow just as Scott jumped up, running at Liam only to be flipped over, his body crashing through a table, the wood splintering everywhere. Liam let out a mighty roar as he began to slice at Scott again, his claws cutting into him. Scott held up his hands to protect himself but it didn't seem to be doing much good. With over fraction of a second that passed, Liam seemed to be getting stronger as Scott grew weaker.

'Liam!' I heard a voice yell from behind. It was Mason. He was approaching us, screaming at his friend to stop what he was doing. I ran to the beta, trying to drag him away from Scott but he threw me off again, the supermoon making him impossibly strong. 'Liam! What are you doing,' Mason continued to yell or his friend and eventually, the voice seemed to register in Liam's head and he slowly turned around.

'She's gone,' Mason said and I realised he was crying. 'Hayden died a few minutes ago.' My stomach fell at the information and I would have sworn my face went completely white. I could see the devastation in the teen's eyes, as well as the beta at the news his girlfriend had died. I wasn't sure if now he would get even more angry. He didn't say anything for a while but when his face finally shifted back to that of a teenage boy, I saw no anger or hate in his eyes, only grief. He sprinted for the door and was gone before anyone could stop him.

'Scott,' I said as I climbed to my feet, both Mason and I taking either side of Scott so we could help him to his feet. Although I wasn't exactly the teen's biggest fan at that moment in time I wasn't so heartless that I would leave him injured and bleeding. He groaned as we raised him from the ground and I brought one of his arms over my shoulder.

'What happened?' Mason asked.

'It's the supermoon,' the alpha replied. 'It was just-.'

'Bad timing.' Theo's voice made my blood run cold and I looked up just in time to see him marching towards us, his face livid. 'I mean, seriously? You couldn't've waited five minutes?' He shoved Mason to the ground away from Scott, the boy groaning as he landed uncomfortably. I anticipated his move against me before it came and I eased Scott's weight off of me so I could send a punch to his face. I had to say, the crunch I heard when my fist connected with his jaw was incredibly satisfying, even if it did shatter a few of my knuckles. So worth it.

But as he recovered, I didn't anticipate his next moved. He had grabbed one of the broken table legs and as he turned around, he sent it into my gut, the sharp edge tearing through my flesh and ripping open the peritoneum. That was always a bit of a nightmare to heal and it hurt like a bitch. Dick move.

I groaned as I fell to my knees, the pain I felt in my back indicating that the piece of table leg had gone straight through. Mason was still on the floor and I groped at the wood with my fingers to try to pull it out. I couldn't do it though, it was wedged through me. I watched as Theo rounded on Scott, unable to move from my position. I felt like a discarded rag doll on the floor, the blood loss making my limbs floppy. I tried to listen to what Theo was saying to Scott as I gagged on the blood pooling in my mouth but it was too difficult. I couldn't do much other that watch and try to pull the wooden dagger from my stomach.

The only thing I registered before I passed out was the gasping of the alpha as Theo plunged his chimera claws into Scott's chest.

* * *

'Alex!' someone called as I lulled in and out of consciousness. I felt a sharp stinging in my cheek, only to realised that someone had just slapped me hard across the face. My eyes snapped open.

'How long was I out?' I asked groggily, my eyes a little fuzzy as I tried to focus on the boy in front of me.

'Not long,' he said, his voice panicked. 'But you need to snap out of it.' I frowned at his comment but his tone concerned me the most. He sounded like he had been crying again.

'Snap out of it?' I repeated back to him as I tried to sit up, only to realise it wasn't a good idea. It caused another explosion of pain to erupt in my stomach. 'I'm a fricking human kabab.'

'Do your thing?' he asked like he was trying to come up with the magic words. 'Heal yourself.' I sent him a glare, although it was only half hearted. I didn't have the energy for anything more. 'You want me to pull it out?' He got the hint.

'Please,' I said flatly. He nodded, taking a deep breath as he locking his fingers around the wood.

'On three, okay?' I nodded as I squeezed my eyes shut. 'One…' _Rip._ He pulled the table leg from my abdomen, his counting completely missing out two and three. _Oldest tick in the book._ 'Theo's gone.' He said as I held my stomach, taking deep breaths as the flesh began to heal. I looked up at him, only now spotting the body on the floor behind him. I squinted my eyes at the figure, my eyes still readjusting.

'Theo's dead?' I asked, a little disbelieving. Trying to drag myself to my feet to get a better look at him body. I needed to make sure he was really gone. Mason's eyes looked horrified for a moment and I wondered why he was keeping his body angled away from the mangled form at the bottom of the stairs. He rested a hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me back down, his eyes cast down.

'Alex…' he trailed off. 'That isn't Theo's body.' I sobered up quickly at his statement, the words confusing me more than anything. Not Theo's body? Then who…

'No,' I whispered disbelievingly as I pushed myself to my feet. I was wobbly and unbalanced but I didn't care. 'Scott,' I said as I approached him, my knees collapsing when I was near enough to him.

'Scott!' Her voice matched mine, though far more desperate and distraught. Melissa McCall sprinted through the library doors and slid to the floor next to me, her hands running over her son's fatal wounds. 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no...' She pushed my hands away when I tried to take a look at the damage so I scooted back. I was too shocked to say anything, though no words would have helped the situation.

'One, two, three, four, five...' Melissa counted as she started CPR.

'What are you doing?' Mason asked when he saw Melissa's actions. I was thinking the same thing in my head but there was no way I was going to keep a mother from attempting to resuscitate her son.

'Six, seven, eight...' Melissa continued to count.

'What are you doing?' Mason asked again. All I could do was watch in silence, my brain not being able to comprehend what was happening. _Was Scott really dead?_ 'He hasn't had a pulse in over 15 minutes,' Mason said. 'You can't bring someone back that's -.'

'He's not someone,' Melissa argued. 'He's my son. And he's an Alpha. And he's too strong to die like this!' she ceased her chest compressions, now using the method of thumping his chest to get his heart beating again. 'Come on! Open your eyes and look at me, okay? Come on. Breathe, baby. Breathe.' My head was in my hands as I stared at the scene. _What the hell had just happened. Had I really just sat by and watched Scott get murdered?_

'Melissa, it's-.'

'Shut up!' she shouted, cutting Mason on again. I ran my fingers through my hair, nails scraping against my scalp. 'He's too strong to die like this. Come on. You can do this. You're an Alpha. You're an Alpha.' She continued to thump his chest. I had seen people be brought back like this before, once after someone had drowned. But fifteen minutes was a long time… 'Come on, Scott. Roar,' she instructed like she was begging him to come back. To open his eyes. 'Come on! Come on, Scott. Roar!' she screamed.

The alpha's eyes shot open, causing the three of us to jump back in shock as he released a mighty roar from his chest, his eyes glowing a fiery red.

* * *

 **AN: Hope you liked that chapter!**

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 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter, much love x**


	15. Chapter 14 - Shades Of Grey

I hurried through the hospital corridors, hating the fact that it was the second time that night that I had been there. After Melissa had brought Scott back, she had received a very worrying call from the hospital saying she needed to come in right away. She had dropped her son back at her house before I had followed her in my car to the hospital. Part of me wanted to stay with the alpha to make sure he would be okay but from the way Melissa's voice had wavered when she told me she had to back into work made me think I might be needed much more at the hospital.

Now I was there, I knew I had made the right decision. The Sheriff had been brought in with a large gaping hole in his abdomen and was losing blood fast. Stiles was somewhere here too and I knew he would be alone. I hadn't seen him since the other night when he had nearly driven the jeep into my car. He had seemed so distraught at the time and realised with a pang of guilt that I hadn't called him to make sure he was alright. After the last day or so, I hadn't had time. Everything had been so hectic and crazy.

I rounded the corner, feeling a little stupid that I was wearing scrubs on my top half. Melissa had made me change which I was now thankful for considering my top had been covered in my blood. Although scrubs, black jeans and a leather jacket was not a good look, it was surely better than that gory gut fest. My shoulders relaxed in a sigh when I caught sight of messy chocolate hair. His head was slumped over as he sat in an uncomfortable hospital seat. The place was bustling with people, but even so, he looked alone. Even from just seeing the back of his head I could tell how upset he was.

'Stiles,' I called. He looked up and I walked around the row of seats so he could see it was me. I smiled sadly at him as he released a shaky breath. His cheeks were stained with tears that were still falling and in that moment, my heart broke for him. Although I now knew that my parents were both dead I had never really felt the loss of losing them. And seeing Stiles' defeated face, I couldn't help but be thankful for that.

When he saw me he wiped his nose on his sleeve before standing up. He only had to take two strides before his arms were around me in a hug. I wrapped mine around him immediately. It was strange to think how this boy had completely flipped my views on personal space.

'It's okay,' I said, rubbing circles into his back. I could feel him shaking. He also felt cold. I internally wished I had brought him a jumper. 'How's your dad?" I asked as he pulled away, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

'He's uh, he's still in surgery,' he replied. I made a move towards the row of seats which he followed and we sat down.

'Did they say when you'll know more?' I asked, folding my hands together in my lap.

'No, they said we just have to wait,' he replied. I nodded.

'Okay,' I said, 'Then we'll wait,' I sent him a reassuring smile which was probably rare for him to see from me. I caught my eye with his glistening ones before nodding slowly.

'Okay.' We fell into a silence which I hoped wasn't uncomfortable before realising that it was the last thing he would be concerned about right now. I had never been the comforting type. I had also never been the one to be sitting and waiting in a time of complete chaos and emergency. My Stiles needed me right now. He needed a friend and although I probably wasn't his first choice, I was the only one there. And I hoped, for Stiles' sake, that I would be enough.

So I waited with him for I'm not sure how long. We didn't say anything to each other and after a while I heard his staggered breathing even out as he sunk into what I hoped was a peaceful sleep. I doubted it was peaceful, but if he was dreaming about anything other than his father having major surgery, it was better than being awake.

I looked up when I saw Melissa approaching. She crouched down next to a sleeping Stiles who had his face resting on his fist. I nudged his shoulder gently, saying his name softly to wake him up. He startled awake, his breathing picking up again as he looked around frantically before his gaze landed on the brunette woman.

'He's okay,' she said with a small smile, her eyes trained on the anxious teen. I released a breath of relief. 'Dr Geyer is stitching him up right now.' Stiles sighed too, his breathing picking up as he pushed himself out of his chair.

'Okay I wanna see him,' he said.

'Okay, okay,' Melissa said, pushing him gently back in his seat. I placed what I hoped was a comforting hand on his shoulder to keep him calm. 'The anaesthesia needs to wear off. It's gonna be at least two hours.'

'Okay, yeah, but everything's gonna be okay though, I mean, he's okay?' Stiles asked worriedly. Melissa nodded.

'He's gonna be just fine,' she replied with a smile. Stiles sat back, more tears of relief forming in his eyes.

'Thank god,' he said shakily as he wiped a hand across his face.

* * *

The next couple of hours was agony. Stiles couldn't help but remain nervous without seeing his dad and I couldn't help but be nervous about everything else that was happening. Theo hadn't showed his face since the library earlier that evening. He was a chimera like the rest of them, only he hadn't been a failure. Stiles and I had been right not to trust him and even though Scott's trust in him was partly to blame for the mess we were all in, I couldn't help but be thankful that it was all out in the open now.

I hadn't heard anything from Malia all night. Not since my message for Argent. The last thing we needed in a town full of chimeras and dread doctors was the desert wolf showing up. In all of this, I had also neglected to realise that I hadn't heard from Derek in a while. He hadn't called back after I tried his mobile the other night. I hoped he was okay.

'How long has it been,' Stiles asked suddenly, his knee bouncing on the floor.

'Since you last asked? Seven and a half minutes,' I replied dryly. I bit my lip after saying it. That was insensitive.

'No, I mean how long has it been since Melissa said he would be fine?' he asked. I sighed, checking my phone again for the time.

'About two and a half hours,' I calculated. 'A little less actually.' Stiles gnawed on his fingernails.

'He should be awake by now," he said, his knuckles white as he gripped the arms of the chair. 'Something's wrong.' He launched himself out of the chair and I tried calling him back but it was like he couldn't hear me. I ran after him as he rounded the corner and made his way to his father's room.

There were a group of people in white coats standing in the corridor, including Melissa who looked nervous.

'You said he should've woken up by now,' I could hear Stiles saying as I caught up with him. 'What's wrong with him?'

'We don't know,' I heard one of the doctors say. Stiles shook his head.

'What do you mean you don't know?' Stiles asked. 'Two hours ago, he was fine.'

'There could've been some minor internal-,' the doctor started, but Stiles cut him off.

'Did you say, "Minor internal?"' the worried teen asked incredulously. 'Since when is anything internal minor?'

'Stiles,' I said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him. He flinched at the contact and shook me off.

'I need to know what's going on with him, okay?' he asked. 'Somebody needs to tell me what's happening to him!'

'We don't know,' Melissa repeated. Stiles' eyes went wide as they looked around, as if he were searching for an answer to his questions. Suddenly, I noticed them stop and I followed his line of sight. It lead to a figure who was standing outside his father's hospital room.

Stiles stepped forward, slowly at first, and then pushed through the double doors, grabbing the figure by the collar with both hands. I followed after him as he shoved the figure to the ground and I realised it was Scott.

'Where were you?' Stiles' yelled as he held Scott on the ground. I shouted his name, trying to get him to stop but he didn't move. He was too angry. Too upset. 'Where the hell were you?'

'Stop!' I yelled as Melissa and I ran forward, trying to prize the boys apart. A few of the doctors ran forward too, grabbing Stiles and pulling him away from Scott. 'Stiles, stop!' I yelled again, placing my hands on his shoulders so he had no choice but to look me in the eye. He stopped struggling.

'Okay! Okay,' he said, shaking off the hands that held him.

'Your dad's not the only one who got hurt,' Scott said after climbing to his feet. I watched him as he brushed himself off, pulling up the zipper on his jacket to cover a blood stain that was slowly growing.

'Oh, you'll heal,' Stiles said angrily. Scott looked up and sighed.

'I'm not talking about me.'

* * *

I walked to the waiting room area where Scott was sitting and took a seat next to him without a word. When he said that the sheriff wasn't the only one who got hurt he had been talking about Lydia. This had prompted Stiles to go to her hospital room to check up on her, something I figured he should do alone. As I sat by Scott, I noticed his gaze flicker to me for a moment before it fell to the floor again. We didn't say anything for a long time, both of us with so many other things to think about. Finally, the teen wolf decided to speak, but what he said I certainly was not expecting.

'Thanks, he said quietly. I sunk back into my seat, realising I probably wasn't going to enjoys this conversation much. It sounded like it was heading somewhere a little sappy and certainly too emotional for me, even if the alpha's voice did sound incredibly drained. 'I mean, I know Theo hurt you, but thanks for trying to throw him off.' He stopped but I still remained silent. I knew he hadn't finished. 'To be honest, I was surprised you showed up at all. I kinda thought you were pissed at me.'

'Oh, I'm still pissed,' I told him, turning my head to catch his eye. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. And kind of afraid. My gaze softened. 'But just because I'm pissed, doesn't mean I want you dead.' He nodded before turning away, his line of sight falling back to the floor.

'Alex, I'm sorry for what I said,' he apologised, his fingers fidgeting with each other. 'Everything's just been so crazy lately, sometimes I feel like I'm barely keeping it together.' I sighed, letting my eyes fall shut for a moment.

'Scott, it's okay.'

'No, Alex,' he protested. 'It's not okay. I was way out of line saying that to you. I mean, you came all this way back to help us and I…' he paused, a small hint of realisation in his tired eyes. 'I didn't even ask you about Seattle.' I released an amused breath though nothing was really funny. 'Did you go?' I sighed.

'Yeah, I went,' I replied. He stiffened, his gaze shifting to me with an expression that told me he really wanted to know how it went but didn't feel it was his place to ask.

'Did you…did you find what you were looking for?' he asked tentatively. I bit my lip, unsure how I should respond. Did I want to tell him? By this point, I was so exhausted of keeping things to myself that I wasn't sure I cared who knew. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my purse, flicking though the cars and notes until I came across the photograph I hadn't let leave my sight since I had acquired it.

'Here,' I said, passing it to him. He took it, his eyes widening a little.

'Is that your mom?' he asked, his eyes fixed on the figure of the brunette woman holding a baby.

'Sure is,' I replied. 'If you hadn't guessed already, I'm the pile of blankets.' He chuckled a little and I nudged him in the side with my elbow before realising that probably wasn't the best thing to do. He had just been clawed to death.

'She's pretty,' he said softly, causing me to smile.

'Yeah, she was,' I replied, my tone a little sombre. He clearly picked up on my choice of 'was' instead of 'is' and looked across to me.

'Alex, I'm so sorry.'

'Don't be,' I said, holding up a hand to silence him. 'I didn't even know her.' I gently took the picture from his hand a looked at it briefly before putting it back into my pocket. 'The address... this guy lived there. He knew where I came from and he told me everything.'

'He told you what you are?' Scott asked in clarification. I nodded slowly but didn't look up to meet his eyes. My focus was on the ground, and I felt his shift too.

'He told me I was supposed to be a hunter,' I admitted. 'What do I do with that?'

'I don't think you have to do anything,' Scott said. I scoffed.

'That's easy for you to say, you're not in my position,' I told him. 'Dylan always told me that hunters only saw black and white. That because of my ability, they would see me as a threat. But Dylan was a hunter and I could never wrap my head around why he wanted to help me.'

'Because Dylan didn't see everything in black and white,' Scott said. 'Not all hunters are the same, trust me.' I smiled at him sadly. I knew he was talking about Argent, and more importantly, his daughter, Allison. But their relationship hadn't worked out, and Allison had ended up dead. What did that mean for Derek and I's future?

'People like the draw lines between hunters and the supernatural,' I said. 'But all my life, all I've ever seen is them blur.' I felt my eyes start to sting with tears. 'I don't know which side I'm supposed to be on.' I looked up at him as a tear escaped over my lid and it crawled down my cheek. As I moved to wipe it away, Scott grabbed my hand and squeezed it supportively.

'Then don't pick one,' he said, staring intently into my eyes. Despite our falling out over Theo, Scott was a good friend. He always seemed to know what to say to me.

'Thanks,' I mumbled, only feeling slightly pathetic. He smiled at me a little, silently letting me know it was okay and that he knew I didn't want him telling anyone else what I had told him. We stood up to head out, realising there were probably more important things we should be doing. 'Hey Scott?' I said just before he turned away. He looked back expectantly. 'I've gotta make a call. Can you hold the fort for a couple hours?' He nodded and I was surprised to see it wasn't reluctant.

'Yeah, of course,' he said. 'I'll see you later.'

* * *

I caught sight of the three teens as the rounded the corner and I cleared my throat, alerting them of my presence. The turned, the human among them seeming a little frightened before realising it was only little old me. The other two, having supernatural senses, had already known I was there.

'You called her too?' I heard Stiles ask Scott. I was surprised by his apparent offence to me being there to help, but I guessed that seeing as his father was in a critical condition at the hospital, I couldn't hold it against him.

'Actually, Melissa called me,' I corrected him, sending him a false smile. 'Told me where you'd be.' Melissa had called just after I'd hung up on my phone call. It was safe to say that it had put me in somewhat of a good mood, having been my green-eyed wolf himself that I'd finally managed to get in touch with. Derek had informed me that he was still on the lookout for his sister, having tracked her movements from central Venezuela all the way up to the Mexican border. I hoped he would find her soon.

'What exactly us this place?' I asked, eyeing the concrete jungle we were about to enter.

'It's an old train station,' Scott replied. 'We tracked his scent here.' _Him_ being the chimera that had attacked Sheriff Stilinski. We hoped that if we were able to track him down, he would be able to tell us how to cure Stiles' father.

'Okay, well I can't track him by scent, but I do know what he looks like,' I offered, trying to make it seem like I actually could help with something.

'Malia knows what he looks like,' Stiles deadpanned. I shot him a glare but it wasn't that harsh.

'Well I've got a gun,' I said, grabbing my Glock from my jeans and brandishing it in front of their eyes. The three of them rolled their eyes at me collectively and I sighed, shoving the gun back into my jeans.

'Let's go,' Scott suggested and we followed him into the abandoned building.

Malia and Scott broke and apart whilst I hung back with Stiles. He didn't seem to want to talk much and neither did I really, but something was bothering me.

'Why are you pissed at me?' I asked, wondering what I could have possibly done wrong.

'I'm not pissed, okay Alex. I just…stressed,' he said. 'We just really need to find this kid.'

'We will,' I said encouragingly as we walked down the gravel corridor.

'Hey guys?' we heard Malia call so we quickened our pace, catching up to the coyote as she gestured down another corridor. 'I got his scent,' she said as she took a step forward. 'This way.'

We followed the coyote down the darkened tunnel, the gravel beneath our feet disintegrating away and turning into solid concrete. The floor started to turn wet, the wall damp as the water dripped down them. It smelled.

'This is Noah's,' Malia said and I looked at what she was looking at. It was a small stain of blood on a large pipe. 'He was here.' I glanced down the tunnel, the small rays of light casting flickering shadows on the walls.

'Guys?' Scott called as his hand slid across the sides of the concrete cave. 'I think we've been down tunnels like this before like when we were trying to find Liam and Hayden.'

'Okay, so what?' Stiles asked as Scott walked closer to us.

'Maybe, it means we're closer than we think,' Scott replied, catching my eye. 'Maybe there's something else down here. Something that we haven't found yet.'

'Yeah, nothing that helps my dad,' Stiles pointed out, growing anxious again. 'Look, we can't just be standing here waiting for something-.' But he was cut off by a figure appearing out of nowhere who shoved him against the wall. Stiles' eyes went fuzzy as he slid down to the ground and I shouted his name, hoping he was okay.

'Alex! A little help,' Malia yelled as she struggled with the chimera on the floor. I looked to Scott who was focused on Stiles, allowing me to focus my attention on Noah who was writhing on the ground. Malia bared her fangs at him as she snarled and grabbed his arm to keep him down.

'Let me go, please,' the chimera begged. 'Please!' Malia continued to growl at the kid as I tried to hold him down. He was fucking strong. 'They're coming.' My eyes widened as my blood ran cold. I looked up at Scott and Stiles, who was now on his feet, and sent them worried glance. All of a sudden, the rattling started, the sound of the dread doctors.

I stood up to join Scott and Stiles as they stared down the corridor, fear creeping into all our bones. We could hear the mechanical sound of each of their steps as they approached us. There were in the tunnels and it would only be a matter of minutes before we were face to face.

Noah shot up abruptly and started to sprint down the corridor but Stiles grabbed him, shoving him up against the wall, his forearm across the chimera's chest.

'You're not going anywhere,' Stiles told him.

'I don't remember,' the chimera whimpered. I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. It was clear that Stiles didn't.

'You don't remember anything?' Stiles asked.

'No,' the chimera replied. 'Not when it happens. Not when I change.'

'You clawed my dad half to death, okay, and now it's poisoning him,' he seethed. 'You're gonna start remembering every detail right now.'

'Scott, I hear them,' I heard Malia say as I kept one eye on Stiles.

'Yeah, I do, too,' Scott said. 'Hey, Stiles,' he said quickly. 'Get him out of here. Go to the hospital. Figure out a way to save your dad.'

'We're not gonna be able to stop them,' Malia protested.

'But we can slow them down,' Scott said. 'Stiles, go!' Stiles turned around, checking with Scott before he ran down the tunnel, pulling the chimera with him. 'Alex, you should make sure he gets there okay.' I shook my head.

'No way in hell I'm leaving you two here,' I said and my tone told them both that there was no room for negotiation. Scott sent me a small smile but I noticed him wince a little. I looked down to his chest to see that the blood had soaked through his jumper, the crimson ring growing in size by the second.

The sound of the footsteps grew louder and I looked to the other end of the tunnel, three ominous figures emerging out of the darkness. My heart thumped in my chest and although I knew I would make it out alive, I was still worried for the other two.

'We're gonna be okay,' Scott assured both of us as he glanced over, sending us a reassuring look. Malia did not look convinced.

'Scott, we're gonna die down here,' Malia said.

'No, we're not,' Scott said with a small smile.

'I wouldn't be so sure,' I said as I watched the doctors move closer and closer.

'That conversation we had earlier gave me an idea,' Scott said as his smile widened into a smirk. 'I had to make a phone call myself.' I raised a brow at him, hoping silently that he had called the fricking army.

'Who'd you call?' Malia asked before I heard the sound of chamber being filled.

'Get down!' the voice yelled from behind us and the three of us ducked out of the way. I recognised the voice and I turned to confirm my suspicions. Chris Argent stood before us, what looked like a semi-automatic in his hand. He caught my eye, grabbing something from his belt behind him and throwing it in my direction. I caught the gun, clicking off the safety as I jumped to my feet, joining him in sending as many bullets as possible in the direction of the doctors.

'Run!' he yelled and I took that to be instructions for the two out of the four of us without a firearm. I stayed by his side, matching his steps as he moved backwards, slowly edging away from the attackers.

* * *

I walked out of the hospital, not feeling like I needed to stay in there any longer. I'd spent way too long in that place over the last couple of days. The Sheriff was going to be okay. As it turned out, he was getting sicker because he had been poisoned by a piece of bone marrow belonging to Noah that had broken off and lodged itself inside of him. We'd also managed to escape the dread doctors, for now, leaving me with what seemed like a free evening. Much to my dismay, I knew that it was likely the peace would be ruined sooner or later.

As I turned towards my car, I spotted Argent and I inwardly groaned. Scott had mentioned to me that the hunter had wanted a word and I'd done my best to avoid him so far. But now, here he was. There was no escape.

'So, what do you wanna talk about?' I asked the greying man who leant against my car. He looked amused by my bitter tone.

'I have an assignment for you,' he said. I arched a brow at him.

'An assignment?' I asked. 'I don't take assignments from you.' His expression remained unchanged, like he was waiting for me to finish my rant before he would continue with what he wanted to say. 'Thanks for the text, by the way,' I said sarcastically, referring to the way he had informed me of the Desert Wolf coming to Beacon Hills. 'A phone call would have been nice.'

'We both know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself,' he said. 'You didn't need a phone call.'

'Then why'd you come when Scott called?' I asked. If he truly believed his own words, we wouldn't have felt the need to show up and save the day.

'Like I said. I have an assignment.' I huffed and folded my arms, realising he wasn't going to let me at my car until I heard what he had to say.

'Fine. What's the assignment?'

'That number I gave you of the guy in Washington,' he started. 'You remember?'

'The guy you said was an associate of the Desert Wolf?' I asked. He nodded. 'Yeah, Derek tried to track him down. It was a bust.'

'I know. But I have a source who has informed me of his whereabouts,' Argent said.

'A source?' I questioned. 'That's specific.

'He's staying in an apartment a few miles out of Beacon County,' he told me. 'I need you to… contain him.' I scoffed, biting my lip.

'What makes you think you can tell me what to do?' I asked through gritted teeth.

'You're angry,' he said, his face still unreadable. It was almost like he was bored of the conversation. That I was exasperating to listen to.

'Yeah, I'm fucking angry,' I said, walking closer to him so I was inches to his face. 'Because I drove all the way to fucking Seattle to find out that the whole mess that was made by my parents and what got them killed, was covered up by _your_ family.' I was breathing heavily, having not realised how pissed off I had been about it this whole time. 'Did you know what I was this whole time?'

'Alex…' he started, shaking his head. I slammed by fist on the car window right next to his head.

'Did you know?' I asked again, my voice low and livid. He sighed, his lips pressing into a tight line as he looked down at me, his eyes focused on mine.

'Who did you think gave Deaton the address in the first place?' I stared at him unable to move as he shifted away from me. 'You better get going,' he said, tossing a large white envelope onto the hood of my car as he strode away without looking back. 'He'll be outta the state by morning.'

* * *

 **AN: Hoped you liked this chapter.**

 **So yeah, I guess Alex is a bit pissed with Argent atm but who knows, maybe they'll be friends again...**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	16. Chapter 15 - What Am I?

When coming back to Beacon Hills, I had hoped that when I eventually left it again, I would be leaving it in a better shape than I had found it. Given this, it was needless to say that I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of running off in the middle of the night to track down some random guy who I wasn't entirely sure even existed, and leaving the rest of the town to fend for themselves. Furthermore, the idea of following the instruction that Argent had given me that night made me cringe a little inside. All I had wanted to do when he'd tossed that white envelope at me was to shove it right back in his face. I didn't want the assignment, but he'd known I would take it anyway. The way he'd asked it of me was somehow like he assumed I would say yes – like he was entitled to my help. I'd wanted to defy him, but despite the fact that roughly six months ago, we'd never met, it seemed that Argent knew me too well.

I'd caved far sooner than I would have liked, but then I realised that the assignment wasn't specifically his. I wasn't doing this for him. I was doing it for Malia, a girl who wanted to find her mother. And that was it. I wasn't following orders from Argent. I was helping out a friend. Besides, Alexia Marshall isn't anybody's bitch.

I pulled up outside the apartment block in the pitch black, a flickering street light the only thing illuminating the thick darkness. My hands remained braced on the steering wheel long after I had pulled the keys from the ignition. I closed my eyes, gripping the wheel tighter as I took a deep breath.

'Keep it together, Alex,' I muttered to myself, the chant prompting me to relax myself a little. 'Keep it together.' I opened my eyes and released my breath, glancing over at the passenger seat as my fingers slid from the wheel. I grabbed the white envelope and poured the contents out onto the seat. I'd already read the entire file over twice before I left Beacon Hills but I wanted to be thorough.

A pile of papers formed on the seat, along with a large wad of cash. I'd counted it already - $10,000. It was a lot of money, but compared to the kit bag full that Scott had been keeping under his bed earlier that year, it felt significantly smaller. At first, I wasn't sure what it was for. Did Argent think this guy would come quietly if I bribed him? From the gun that also fell out of the envelope, I guessed not. It had a small yellow post-it note on the butt _reading 'In case you misplaced the other one.'_ I scoffed, momentarily casting my mind back to when I'd given Argent's Glock away to my blue haired friend before crumpling the note up and tossing it away. I cast my attention back to the seat where the rest of the contents of the envelope lay. He had even included an ankle holster. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

It was safe to say I was nervous. I hadn't exactly been on top of my game recently and I really regretted slacking off on training since leaving Oregon. Truth be told, I knew I relied on my ability too much when in a fight. It was easy to be sloppy when I knew I could heal from any damage, but something told me I wouldn't be able to do that tonight. I'd had some experience of combat over the past few weeks but they'd all been with supernaturals – people who I guessed also relied on their strength, speed and healing. I hadn't fought a professional since Violet in in boy's locker room and she had royally kicked my ass. And this guy, the guy I was supposed to be 'containing' was Soviet Special Forced. I was assuming he'd be more advanced than a teenage killer.

I checked the clip on the weapon before shoving it in the back of my jeans, tossing the ankle holster distastefully onto the backseat. Flicking through the money one last time, I decided to leave it in the glove compartment along with the rest of the file. I'd memorised the address and the photograph. In theory, I was prepared, but in reality, I was shitting bricks. I pulled my own Glock from my bag, feeling strangely comforted by the way it slotted perfectly into my palm. It wasn't like it was custom made or anything. It had been Dylan's anyway. But it felt familiar and almost natural. I didn't let it go from my grip as I shrugged off my jacked and slid out of the car.

The ground was still slick from the rain that had stopped pouring hours ago. The single street light danced in the puddles that littered the sidewalk. When I made it to the apartment building, I thought of my next move. According to Argent's notes, the man I was looking for had been renting the apartment on the third floor for the last week or so. I wouldn't be able to gain access though the front door and I doubted he'd buzz me in if I rang. I walked to the side of the building and spotted the fire escape. It didn't start until the first floor – I'd have to climb up the drain pipe to get to it. I instinctively went to shove the Glock down my jeans but stopped when I felt it grate against the other. _Now I got why he included the ankle holster_. As I readied myself to begin my ascent I paused, the sound of footsteps that weren't mine cutting through the night.

The man walked briskly on the sidewalk, a kitbag slung over his shoulder which looked too casual for his fairly smart attire. He'd come from the back entrance of the building and as he came closer, I pressed my body to the wall to keep myself concealed. Now that his features were a bit clearer I could see that maybe I was wrong about the smart clothes. They were black and looked more athletic than smart. The light caught his face as he passed under the street lamp and I sucked in a sharp breath. It was him. It was definitely him. Argent had been right; he would've been gone by morning.

I stuck to the shadows as he approached. I still held the gun I my hand and the spare dig into the flesh on my lower back as I pressed against the wall. He was well built and looked pretty fierce. As I gripped the gun I remembered Argent's instructions. He said 'contain' not kill. I wasn't sure how useful the gun would be. This guy surely wouldn't be scared by it.

When he was about fifteen or so metres from me I realised my hiding spot wasn't going to be good enough. In ten seconds, he would have passed me, no doubt lashing out to defend himself when he noticed my figure lurking in the shadows. I counted his steps as I heard boots slapping against the tarmac.

 _Four. Five. Six._

They grew louder and louder.

 _Ten. Eleven. Twelve._

I held my breath, the gun gripped tightly in my right hand.

 _Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty…_

I pushed away from the wall, the lamp illuminating my dark form as I stepped out into his path. He stopped immediately when he saw me and I saw something in his eyes switch from defensive to attacker. I watched them look me up and down as if he were assessing me: How capable was I? How difficult a threat would I be to take down? Did I have a weapon? He seemed to find his answers within a second or two because before I could pull my gun on him, he lunged for me.

His hands went straight to my throat, the force behind his body knocking me to the ground. I struggled violently to pull the gun on him to get him off of me but my arms were pinned to my sides. I could tell from the pressure his hands maintained on my neck that he intended to kill me. They squeezed my wind pipe closed, the air unable to reach my lungs. He was trying to kill me. _Boy, was he in for a surprise._

I struggled with my legs, pressure starting to build in my head at the lack of oxygen. I would probably pass out if this continued but it wouldn't take long for me to be back on my feet again. I tried again with my knees, this time one of them hitting him in the groin. That usually worked pretty well. He grunted but his fingers only tightened on my neck. This guy's pain threshold must've been even greater than mine.

I watched as his concentration faltered a little when he realised I hadn't died yet. _Huh. I guess I could survive without oxygen longer than I thought I could._ With him a little distracted, I managed to free my hands and I smacked the butt of the gun against his head. It didn't knock him out like I hoped it would but it did give me an opportunity to roll out from underneath him and climb to my feet.

He was up soon too and this time I was quicker on the draw. I pointed the gun to his chest, an expression on my face that I hoped gave the impression that I wasn't afraid to use my weapon.

'Come quietly and I might let you live,' I quipped. I thought about letting my lips quirk up into a smirk but I left my expression hard.

Serious.

It was him who smirked.

'You're out of your depth, little girl.' My eyes narrowed at his comment, my teeth gritting together. I stared him down, my finger itching on the trigger.

 _Smack._

He kicked the gun from my grip and I sucked in a breath, clutching my right hand to my chest as the bones snapped back together. The gun slid away down the slick sidewalk and I didn't give looking for it a second thought. Now this guy was really pissing me off.

I back handed him, feeling an immense sense of satisfaction when my knuckles connected with his face. His head turned to the side but he wasted no time returning the punch, the impact phasing me only slightly. He threw another punch which I dodged, but only just. He wasn't like fighting Derek. He wasn't even like fighting Dylan. He was fast, for a human, and his movements were slick and practiced. No, perfected. I wondered how many years of training he had under his belt. I kicked him in the ribs, then tried again with a punch. He caught my wrist in a death grip, much to my annoyance, and expertly twisted my arm behind me so my back was pressed to his chest. He pushed me forward towards a parked car so that I was trapped between hi and the passenger door, my ribs aching as I slammed against the metal.

I felt something cold at my neck and realised he was pressing a knife to my throat. I stilled, my struggling ceasing as the blade threatened me.

'Who sent you?' he growled into my ear. He had an accent, his voice deep and menacing. I didn't think he really expected me to answer him, so I remained silent, my breathing heavy from the exertion. He pressed the knife more firmly to my neck. 'I asked you a question.'

I dug my heel into his foot before elbowing him as hard as I could in the ribs. I heard a crack and I smiled wickedly as he released his hold on my arm. I spun around, pushing him back to the sidewalk and punching him again. We were both in full on combat more now, him with the advantage as he swung the knife at me. He was more skilled that me by a long shot, but I was resilient and my stamina was ten times his. I didn't tire easily and I could keep up the rapid pace of the fight all day. As we fought, I suddenly found myself feeling a thrill. A rush. The adrenaline pumped through my veins with every quick movement and reflex. It was almost like I was _enjoying_ myself. Sure, it was a challenge, but I was surprisingly holding my own against this trained professional. Maybe I wasn't as amateur as I had firth thought. Maybe Argent knew it too…

 _Crack_. My head collided with a fist and my vison blurred for a brief second. I'd let my guard down and gotten distracted. Now he had the upper hand. I dodge another swing, only to feel the sharp sting of the knife tearing though my flesh. The blade cut through my neck, but not deep enough to nick anything major. I didn't even flinch.

He pushed me backwards against the wall, my spine rattling with the impact. I breathed through gritted teeth as one hand held the top of my shirt, the other holding the knife, poised above my chest. He glared at me coldly as he prepared himself for the kill, but I only smiled darkly at him. He faltered a little, my expression making him a little uneasy. He thought he was about the kill me. Why was I smiling?

I felt the wound on my neck start to heal and I could feel his eyes shift to the rapidly repairing flesh. I smirked as I raised a daring brow at him as the cut completely healed right in front of him. He was stunned. Stupefied. Speechless.

I pushed hard on his chest, satisfied when he actually moved away from me, his knife dropping to the ground. _Weren't expecting that, were you?_ I wanted say the words out loud but maintained a hard stare as I grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall in the same way he had done to me. I was sure it wasn't the first time he had bumped into a supernatural, he did work for the Desert Wolf after all, but it was likely the first time he had seen anyone like me before. In fact, I was sure of it. From the look on his face, I don't think he realised that anyone, supernatural or not, could heal as fast as I could.

I grabbed the spare gun from my jeans and clicked the safety off, pressing the barrel to his forehead.

'Who are you?' he asked. He looked for afraid of me than the prospect of getting a bullet in his brain. There was something about his expression though that irked me. I'd always found that when I looked at people who held a lethal weapon to me, I could tell whether they would actually go through with it or not. There was something in their eyes that told me if they were a killer. The way this guy was looking at me right now was the exact same way I looked at those people. He stared at me, the man I was holding a gun to stared at me, and he thought with every fibre in his being that he was going to die. He had the gut feeling I always had when I saw a killer, and today the killer was me. And I hated it.

' _What_ are you?' he repeated and I found myself unable to look him in the eye any longer. My teeth ground together. I let up a little on his collar, but pressed the gun harder against his head.

'That's a good question,' I replied, removing my gun from his head and punching him square in the nose. The impact sent his head back against the wall and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

I stared at him on the ground as I stepped away. It didn't feel like a win. However, if there was one piece of knowledge I'd gained from the evening it was this: I may have been a killer, but at least I wasn't a hit man.

* * *

The drive back to Beacon Hill felt slow and when I finally made it to Malia's house, I didn't feel like going in. She was definitely surprised to see me when I knocked on her door and even more surprised when I told her about the 'present' I had brought for her. Together, we wrestled with the semiconscious man to get him inside her house before splashing water on his face to wake him up fully.

'What's in the bag?' she asked as I threw the guy a rag for his bloody nose. He glared at me as he caught it and I sent him back a sarcastic smile.

'Weapons, mainly. A couple heavy duty semi-automatics,' I replied, riffling through the kit bag that lay on the floor one more time before zipping it up and shoving it towards the door. I had no intention of giving them back. They would make some nice additions to my collection. 'So,' I said, my attention turning back to the man who was pressing him tender face as I twirled my gun in my hand. 'You wanna tell us about the Desert Wolf?'

'Go to hell, bitch,' he spat, his accent thick. I rolled my eyes at him. Just then, I heard the sound of a car pulling up the driveway and I caught Malia's eye.

'Get rid of them,' I instructed her, not caring about whoever it could be. Right now, this was the priority. She left the room to answer the door and I blanked out the conversation, turning back to the man.

Suddenly, he jumped up and made for the door. I slammed into him as hard as I could, both of us tumbling to the floor as we brawled.

'You know, we can do this the easy way,' I said, trying to wrestle him off of me and keep him in the room. 'Or the hard way.' _Pfft._ I would never do it the hard way. After spending seven months being sliced and diced, I knew I would _never_ sink that low. But he didn't know that.

The outside door clicked shut and Malia stepped back into the room, her brows raised when she noticed me on the floor, trying to pin the man to the ground.

'Did you get anything outta him?' she asked, sounding a little exasperated.

'You think you can make me talk?' the man spat. 'I am Spetsnaz. Soviet Special Forces. In battle, we kill our own wounded.' I rolled my eyes at him.

'That's real nice,' I quipped, pulling him off of the ground with Malia's help and shoving him against the wall.

'You could tear out my fingernails, cut my lips with razors. I'll still say nothing.' This guy really needed to shut up, but I'd read the file Argent had given me, and I was pretty sure I knew the angle I needed to take to get him talking.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, but your section is out of work and broke, right?' I asked, raising a brow in question.

'You won't get a word out of me,' he repeated. I let go of his collar, satisfied that Malia could hold her own with him, and retrieved the envelope from the where it lay on the couch. I retrieved the wad of cash, flicking it through my fingers.

'What if we paid you $10,000?' I asked, waving the money in front of him like it was candy before pressing it to his chest. He took it with a smirk and didn't struggle when Malia released him. Also I wasn't exactly his biggest fan at the moment, Argent sure knew what he was doing.

'The Desert Wolf was last seen close to the Canadian border,' he explained. I guessed that was what he was doing in Washington. 'She won't travel by plane. She will stay away from surveillance cameras when she can.'

'Then we still have some time,' Malia said. I knew she was worried about meeting her mother for the first time, especially since she was planning on killing her. I'd thought about talking her out of it, but who was I to try and suede her decision?

'There's another reason she won't fly,' he said, continuing to give us the information we wanted. It was amazing what money could drive people to do. Cheat, betray, murder… 'She's not traveling alone.'

'What do you mean?' I asked with a frown.

'She has a hostage,' he explained, his fingers still skimming through his newly earnt dollars. 'An animal doctor.' I looked to Malia and I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

 _Deaton._

* * *

 **AN: Hoped you liked that chapter!**

 **Just wanted to say so sorry that I haven't updated this as regularly as I hoped. I haven't been feeling great these past few weeks so haven't had much time to work on my stories much. Hoping to focus back on this more when I feeling a bit better but for now, enjoy :) While you wait, if you're a** **_Supernatural_ fan, you could check out my other story, _Contra Naturam_ while you wait for updates! Also, check out my poll on the profile page!**

 **Anyways, let me know what you thought, much love x**


	17. Chapter 16 - Priorities

'So, this is your dad,' I deadpanned, raising a brow at the old man who stood before me, my arms folded tightly over my chest. When Argent had called me and asked for help in the tunnels, I hadn't expected him to have other company.

'Gerard Argent,' the balding man said, his lips quirking up into a smile. He held out a hand for me to shake which I impolitely ignored. After everything I'd heard about this man, I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.

'You know, I've met a lotta crazy people over the years,' I mused, eyeing him up and down. 'But you? You really give a whole new meaning to the words, don't you?' He simply smirked at me.

'It's a pleasure to finally meet you,' he said, his comment coming off a bit creepily. Argent had told me that his father would know exactly who I was, so at least I was prepared for it.

'Yeah…' I trailed off awkwardly. 'Well the pleasure's all yours.'

'Alex,' Argent warned, having resigned himself to playing referee between us. I shot him a look. HE knew he wasn't exactly in my good books right now, but when he'd called me it had seemed important. His calls never weren't.

'Yeah, yea, I know,' I said, waving him off. 'Play nice.'

'Don't forget, Alexia. I had a hand in keeping your existence a secret,' he reminded me, causing me to grit my teeth together. 'Show me a little respect.'

'Whatever grandpa,' I said flippantly, my tone condescendingly. 'I owe you nothing.'

'You're still alive, aren't you?' he asked, as if that fact was entirely down to him. I glared into his beady little eyes.

'Is that supposed to be funny?'

'Enough!' Argent barked at me and I took a step back, feeling a little like a scalded child. 'Look,' he said, turning his head to me in a whisper. 'I don't like this anymore than you do, but we need his help.' I bit my lip, but nodded anyway.

'Fine,' I said. Argent held my gaze a moment, as if making sure I was really fine. Once he was satisfied, he gave a nod, gesturing down the tunnel for us to continue.

Whilst I was away from Beacon Hills for a short time, it had transpired that the dread doctors had managed to resurrect an ancient beast who was supposedly the ultimate killing machine. _Funny. I thought that was my job._ Argent had called it _The Beast of Gevaudan._

The tunnels were damp and dingy. I could feel the water from the ground starting to soak through my boots. As we walked, I noticed Argent start to pull out his gun and he turned his head back to me, indicating that I should do the same. I nodded, following his orders and pulling the Glock from my jeans.

After a moment, Gerard stopped, his fingers grazing against the wall. When he brought them back, I could see that they were caked in what looked like soot.

'What is that?' I asked, my brow furrowed.

'You might call it a fingerprint,' Gerard replied, rubbing the black dust between his fingertips.

'This isn't going to look like anything we've seen before, is it?' Argent asked as we carried on down the underground corridors.

'Oh, there were a lot of descriptions of the Beast of Gevaudan,' Gerard explained. 'Everything from a red-furred giant wolf to a cloven-hoofed panther the size of a horse.' I raised a brow at that. This thing already sounded terrifying. 'But my grandfather gave me a description that was a bit stranger.'

'How strange?' Argent asked.

'He said the body was oil black. Solid but shapeless at the same time.' I gripped my gun tighter in my hands. Gerard leaned in closer to the two of us, whispering his next words like _they_ could kill us. 'Like a shadow pretending to be real.' I halted as Argent stopped abruptly beside me, holstering his pistol and taking out a semi-automatic that seemed much more suitable for the job.

'How do we stop it?' I chimed in as we pressed further through the dark tunnels. A light flickered in the corner, making out surroundings seem more and more like a horror movie set.

'As far as legend goes, the only weapon that proved effective was a simple spear in the hands of a young woman,' Gerard explained.

'The Maid of Gevaudan,' Argent filled in. I have to say I wasn't entirely sure who they were referring to, but something told me it wouldn't be long before I found out. Gerard mumbled an agreement to his son before they both stopped. We'd come to a fork in the tunnel.

'With me,' Argent said, catching my eye and nodding towards the left had tunnel. Splitting up was perfectly fine by me. I nodded in response as I began to follow him.

'Alexia,' I heard from behind me. I turned around begrudgingly. Gerard met my eyes. 'I hope we can be friends.' I stared at him a moment, considering his words.

'It's Alex,' I deadpanned, turning on my heel and stalking past Argent down the tunnel.

* * *

We moved at a slow pace, Argent flanking me as we walked in silence. For the most part anyway.

'I trust the assignment went well?' he asked, trying to sound casual when I knew he was curious. I shook my head at him, my jaw clenching.

'Don't,' I said, stilling dead in my tracks and letting my hands fall to my sides. He turned around with a raised brow when he noticed my presence gone from his side. 'Don't talk like you're my boss.'

'I don't think I'm your boss,' he said, his voice even. His expression levelled.

'Yeah you do,' I replied. 'You think you can control me with your assignments and your information and your…your ankle holsters.' I raised brow at the last bit and I could tell he was trying to supress an amused smile. That only angered me more. He signed.

'Alex. No one in their right mind would try to control you,' he said, his words making we feel like I was some kind of wild animal. I huffed, pushing past him and continuing down the tunnel. 'So where is he now?' I sighed at his continued efforts to get answers out of me.

'I dropped him off just outside Beacon County. He won't come back,' I informed him.

'Did you get all the information you needed?' I could hear his unasked question masked by his words. _Did Malia now know the location of the Desert Wolf? Was she nearly in Beacon Hills? How had I achieved these answers?_

'Yeah,' I replied. 'He was quite the chatterbox after I paid him off.' I wasn't sure how he would take it. The truth was, when I'd discovered the $10,000 cash in the white envelope, I had speculated how Argent had intended me to use it. But when he gave a nod, I sensed I had done the right thing.

'Good,' he muttered as we carried on down the tunnel.

'You know,' I started. 'When I found the money…I thought it might've been for me.'

'For you?' he asked, seeming indifferent.

'Yeah, you know…as payment,' I said. He raised a brow at me, indicating that I had to spell it out for him, though I knew he knew exactly what I was insinuating. 'Payment to kill that guy.'

'When I put the money in the envelope, I didn't have any prior intentions for how you should use it,' he admitted.

'Did you think I'd take it?' I asked. He paused, releasing a breath before he looked at me in the eye.

'I hoped you wouldn't,' he explained. 'And I'm glad you didn't.' I frowned at him.

'So, what?' I asked. 'Was it some kind of test?'

'I needed to see what influences drive you the most,' he admitted finally. I opened my mouth to respond but my ears were met with a growing sound of scuttling. In a way, I was glad for the distraction. I wasn't sure what I would've said without it.

'What is that?' I asked as the sound grew louder and louder. The noise was unnerving. I held my gun back up in front of me, ready to defend both myself and the hunter next to me if anything sinister emerged from the darkness.

As we rounded the corner slowly, we caught sight of a grating on the floor. The sound seemed to be coming out of it. We inched closer and closer, adrenalin of anticipation pumping through my veins. Once we'd reached the grating, we bent down, though it was too dark to see anything through the strips of metal.

I watched as Argent pulled out a flare and lit it up, the red flame illuminating the dimness. He held it close to the grating, finally dropping it between the slits so the flare well below to the ground. We peered down, and I watched in horror as the scurrying sounds quickened. Hundreds of bugs began to scuttle away from where the flare had fallen, the absence of them revealing something much more disturbing underneath.

They were bodies. Dozens of dead bodies.

* * *

The look of revulsion and dismay I saw on the young deputies face as he watched the twenty-three bodies being rolled into the hospital on gurneys mimicked that of mine and Argent's when we had found them.

'Parrish,' I said as I tapped his shoulder. He flinched away in shock, relaxing a little when he saw it was me.

'Alex,' he muttered back in greeting. It was the most deflated I'd ever seen him. He didn't even attempt a smile. I knew the sight of all the bodies had affected him detrimentally, but I wasn't the comforting type.

'Congrats,' I said sarcastically, slapping him on the back. He raised a tired brow at me. My comment wasn't really supposed to cheer him up, but I thought any distraction from the dead people we shared a corridor with was a good one. 'You're the sole member of the _freaks-who-don't-know-what-they-are club_.'

'You found out what you are?' he asked incredulously. I could see he wanted me to elaborate, but right then, I didn't want to get into all the gory details.

'Story for another time,' I said. 'When we have access to a lot of hard liquor.' The point was moot. I doubted alcohol had any effect on either of us. His lips twitched ever so slightly in a smile anyhow and I took that as an indication that my work was done.

I saw the sheriff heading over so I bid my farewells, heading out of the hospital into the car park. As I reached my car, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket and I groaned. _Would I never get five minutes of peace?_

'Malia,' I greeted down the phone.

 _'I need you to meet me at the animal clinic right now,'_ she said, her voice rushed. _'You're gonna need a lot of fire power.'_ I raised a brow at this.

'Who are we taking down today?' I asked, climbing into my car and eyeing the kit bag of weapons.

 _'The Desert Wolf,'_ she said, her tone determined. _'She's in Beacon Hills. And I know where.'_

* * *

Malia watched me with exasperated eyes as I passively loaded my weapon on the examination table. I shoved each round into the gun harshly, my jaw shut tight as I mumbled profanity between my teeth.

'What's the problem?' she asked, clearly growing irritated by my pissy attitude.

'Besides the fact that your only lead is a vision induced by a mystical GPS helmet and we're basically going in blind?' I asked. She looked at me expectantly. I finished loading the gun and cocked it in the direction of the arrogant teen standing across the room. 'Him.'

'Would you mind not pointing that thing at me?' Theo asked. I raised the weapon higher as I glared at him.

'He's coming with us,' Malia clarified.

'He stabbed me with a table leg,' I said accusingly.

'You looked like you recovered well,' he shot back in response.

'I'm gonna kill you, you egotistical ass.'

'Won't happen with a shotgun,' he replied.

'Stop!' Malia said. 'Both of you.' It was the second time that day I had been chastised for bickering.

'I did what I had to do to survive,' Theo said. 'You of all people should understand that.' I narrowed my eyes at him before turning to Malia.

'Look, I'm starting to think this wasn't such a great idea,' I said. Malia looked ready to growl at me. 'From what I've been told, the Desert Wolf is known to carry pretty heavy firepower.'

'What does a were-coyote need with guns?' Theo asked. I glanced over at him.

'I don't know all the details,' I told them. 'Some people say it's because she lost some of her power years ago, but she's a perfect shot.'

'So are you, Alex,' Malia said. 'The sun's going down. I'm going whether you come or not.' She stared at me in the eyes. Something in her brown iris pulled at my gut and I knew I couldn't leave her to do this alone. Or worse still, with Theo. 'Are you coming?' I sighed, tossing the shot gun in the kit bag of weapons and shoving my Glock into my jeans.

'Wouldn't miss it.'

* * *

I followed Malia's lead as we crept into Fort Jewett, the shot gun gripped tightly in my hand. As we rounded each corner, I could feel Theo's body behind me, his breath so close I occasionally felt it on my neck.

'Hey Alex,' I heard his whisper behind me. 'You wanna lend me a gun?'

'No,' I deadpanned, not looking back to answer him. We continued to trail after the coyote, trying to keep out footfalls as silent as possible. 'Are you sure this is the right place?' I asked. To say I was dubious about the source we'd got the location from was an understatement.

'Yeah,' she whispered back, coming to a stop and looking around as if confused. 'But there's something wrong.'

'What?' I asked, growing concerned. 'Is it a scent?' She didn't answer, simply carrying on behind an army vehicle. I followed after her, by breath hitching slightly in my throat when my eyes fell on none other than Deaton. He was gagged and tied to a chair, but other than that, he seemed to be okay. Malia made an advance towards him as I hung back, the hairs on the back of my neck pricking up. I was starting to sense what I thought Malia might have. Something was wrong.

Just as I was about to call out and tell her to be careful, I noticed Theo's hand reaching for the shot gun I held in my hands. He was fast, but I was practiced. I yanked the gun from his grasp and rammed it into his chest, sending him back a few feet. My eyes narrowed at the sudden attack and I cursed myself for letting my guard down for a second. I knew he would try to pull something like this.

I wacked him again, kicking him in the stomach a few times before he managed to pull towards him so my back was pressed against his chest. I struggled against his grip but he was too strong. I felt him grasp the Glock in my jeans and before I knew what was happening, he'd shot me in the back, sending me groaning to the floor. It went all the way through and I could feel it healing before I'd even hit the ground. However, in the time it took me get my bearings and realised what was going on, he'd released another bullet from the gun, this one lodging itself in Malia's gut. She groaned painfully as she grabbed her stomach, falling backwards onto the ground as Theo towered over her.

I wanted to run at him and take him out, but he still had the gun. It was still aimed at Malia. I crawled forward anyway, but he sense my movements and he shot me again. Something about the situation was painfully reminiscent of the confrontation Stiles and I'd had with The Chemist in the locker room.

'It was me, wasn't it?' Theo was saying to Malia. 'You picked up a Chemo-signal.' He approached her slowly as she gasped, trying to catch her breath. 'Probably regret. Because I didn't really want to do this,' Theo continued. 'But I didn't have a choice.' I watched in horror as he slid the weapon along the floor. It was halted by a boot clad foot and I groaned as I realised who it belonged to.

 _The Desert Wolf._

The woman took out a jar from her jacket and tossed it in the chimera's direction. He caught it expertly, his eyes turning amber as he stared at them. 'You should've listened to Alex,' he said with a smirk.

'Go to hell, dick,' I spat as he turned towards me. He strode over quickly, grabbing a pair of handcuffs from the older coyote and securing me to a latch on the floor. I struggled as much as I could to stop him, but he had supernatural strength. I glared daggers at him as he strode away.

My second bullet wound was taking longer to heal that the first, but that wasn't what I was worried about. Malia continued to gasp in agony as she sat on her knees, not to mention Deaton was still tied up behind us. They were both so vulnerable. One wrong move and I feared I might be the only one who had a chance of coming out of this the other side.

I watched as The Desert Wolf grabbed Malia by the neck, choking her as she threw her to the ground once more. I could hear her taunting her daughter, but I was too focused on trying to get out of the cuff to register what was said. I pulled on the metal as hard as I could to no avail. It was too strong.

I looked up as I heard Malia scream. The Desert Wolf had her foot pressed into her ribs and I heard a sickening crack as they gave way.

'Corinne!' My head snapped to where Deaton had managed to get free of the gag. 'You can't get it back like this,' he said, referring to the coyote's power that she believed had been stolen by Malia. 'It has to be a full moon,' he informed her. 'You kill her now and you get nothing.'

Suddenly, the light's sparked, distracting The Desert Wolf long enough for Malia to jump up and swing a punch at her. They continued to fight as I worked on the cuff, my resolution involving breaking the majority of the bones in my hand in order to rip if free from the metal. I groaned as I did it, but it was drowned out by the shouts comin from Malia as she fought her mother.

'Hey!' I yelled as I climbed to my feet, about to kick some serious ass when a low grumble caught all of our attention.

We looked towards Deaton. The wall behind him started to crumble away before our eyes. Brick by brick, the whole became bigger. I swallowed thickly as a pair of huge growing eyes glared at us through the darkness.

'What is that thing?' I heard Malia asked as my stomach dropped to the floor.

'It's the beast.' Rapidly, the thing bore down on Deaton, dragging the chair he was tied to towards it. I ran at him, grabbing the leg as it was lifted into the air.

'Malia!' I screamed, desperate for her to come and help. When she didn't materialise instantly by my side I began to panic. I wasn't strong enough to pull Deaton out of the beast's grip by myself. 'Malia?' I called again. After a moment, I felt her beside me and we managed to pull Deaton free, the three of us stumbling away from the enormous monster as a terrifying growl ripped through the air.

* * *

It was strange how the animal clinic felt so much more comfortable now that its veterinarian was back. I'd just pulled on a blood free shirt when Scott and Liam walked through the door together. I caught the alpha's eye first as he smiled gratefully at me before he and Deaton shared a warm embrace.

Next, I locked eyes with the young beta. The one with the anger issues. It was surprising to see him trailing behind Scott. I'd suspected it would take longer for them to get over their issues – Liam had tried to kill Scott after all.

Liam looked nervous under my gaze, shifting uncomfortably as I eyed him wearily. The last time we'd seen each other hadn't been too great either and I could tell, even after all these months, that he was still a little scared of me.

I let my lips quirk up in a reassuring smile as I nodded to him, telling him that, at least on my part, all was forgiven.

 _Forgiveness._ That wasn't exactly something I was great at, nor had I had a lot of practise at it. But I realised that although, especially over the last few week, we'd all had our differences, there was a much greater threat out there that thirsted for all out blood. And it was bigger and scarier than anything Beacon Hills had ever faced before.

* * *

 **AN: So Alex met Gerard and had a run in with The Desert Wolf and the beast!**

 **Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read/followed/favourited/reviewed this story. You're awesome!**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	18. Chapter 17 - Jailbreak

My hands gripped the edge of the examination table, my knuckles turning white. A cocktail of anger, concern and dreaded fear swirled inside of me as the Veterinarian placed the photographs on the table.

'This is the only surviving evidence of Dr Valack's time as Chief Medical Officer of Eichen House,' Deaton was saying. 'To call it human experimentation would be charitable.' I couldn't bring myself to look at the photographs straight away. I had a feeling about what they might depict, but I was too afraid to confirm it.

'So, he drilled holes into their heads?' Stiles asked. He was positioned to my right, his eyes glancing over the polaroids on the table. Scott was to his right. 'All of them?'

'That was the experimentation part,' Deaton said. 'He did it to Werewolves, Banshees, Wendigos, any creature he could get his hands on.' The animal doctor's eyes sifted to me and I caught them for a second. There was regret in his eyes, not for himself, but for all the horrors that existed in our world that he had no control over. But there was no pity in them, not for me anyway, and for that, I was grateful. He turned away. 'Valack found that trepanation would initially heighten their powers, but to levels that couldn't be contained.'

'So, he wants to make Lydia more powerful,' Scott said. For the past few days, Lydia had been locked up in Eichen House after she went catatonic – something I was pretty sure was all Theo Raeken's doing. We now had reason to believe that Valack was planning to do to Lydia what he'd done to so many other supernaturals. Just the thought of him made me sick.

'Yeah. Except she's going to end up like them,' Stiles said, gesturing to the photographs on the table. It was then that I looked, my eyes fixing first on what looked like a Wendigo, a large gaping hole having been drilled into his head. As I stared at the rest of them, I caught sight of one of a girl. Her mouth was wide in agony as she held onto her head, her hands clamped over her ears as if there was a sound so deafening, her head might explode.

My hand slid along the metal surface of the table and took the edge of it. The conversation happening around me seemed to dissipate, the words slurring together and disappearing into thin air. I could feel my heart start to race as I stared at the screaming girl. Memories. Horrible Memories flooded my mind. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. Years ago, this had happened to me. Tonight, this would happen to Lydia.

'Alex.' Stiles' voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up. Deaton and Scott looked over at me from the door in concern. Stiles remained by my side. They must've finished their conversation and started heading out, then only realising that I wasn't paying any attention to the conversation.

'You okay?' Stiles asked me pointedly. He'd angled his body to block my face from the others' view. He probably thought I might cry or something, and knew that if I did, I wouldn't want an audience. I released the photograph from my fingers and swallowed thickly.

'Yeah,' I said with a nod, blinking up at him. 'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'Okay,' he replied. He didn't look convinced by my answer one bit. I expected him to push, but he didn't. That was fine by me. 'Okay,' he repeated. 'We're heading over to Scott's in a few hours. Meet us there?'

'Sure,' I replied and he shot me a small smile before following his friend out the door. I knew then that this was going to be a long day.

* * *

'No.' I could hear Stiles' voice through the door as I eavesdropped.

'What do you mean?'

'I mean no.'

'She'll be fine.'

'I'm not gonna ask her to do it.'

'Fine. I'll asked her.'

'Ask me what?' I raised a brow at the group as I entered Scott's living room. Stiles' eyes were wide when I glanced at him first, before he stumbled on his words. Scott stepped forward, clearly thinking he needed to help his friend out.

'We have a plan to get Lydia out of Eichen,' the alpha said. He spoke carefully. Too carefully. I narrowed my eyes at him.

'What plan?' I asked.

'We get into Eichen. We get into the closed unit. Get Lydia. Get out,' he told be. It seemed like a good plan.

'Cool,' I replied. 'I'll drive the getaway car.' It was supposed to be a joke, though I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to step another foot in that hell hole. But when it fell short and I was met with a room of blank faces, I knew something was up. 'Jeez, lighten up.'

'There's one problem though,' Scott continued. I looked up at him expectantly. 'The closed unit is surrounded by a mountain ash barrier.' I felt ice run down my spine.

'Oh,' I said, but it came out as a whisper. I understood. Mountain ash barrier plus room of supernatural creatures equals no entry. Well of course, unless you weren't a supernatural, like Stiles. Or unless you were me.

'We need you and Stiles to get in,' he said.

'No,' Stiles said, stepping forward and pulling me to the side, shielding me from the rest of the group like he had done earlier. 'Alex, you don't have to do this.' I remained quiet, stepping out from behind him and glancing at the rest of the room. Malia. Kira. Liam. Scott. I knew they all knew why I didn't want to enter Eichen House. It was something I'd known for a long time. It was the glances they sent me when they didn't think I was looking. It was right now when they all shared Deaton's look of regret. I'd never actually spoken about the seven months I'd spent in the _research facility_ with any of them apart from Stiles. It was like some kind of elephant in the room that none of us wanted to acknowledge.

And now I was staring at it in the face.

I glanced at Stiles as I spoke. 'Yeah, I do,' I said before cracking a smile that was mostly forced. 'No way in hell I'm letting you in there by yourself.'

'Are you sure?' the alpha asked me. 'I mean, we all understand if you don't want to.' I took a breath. It would be difficult going to a place like that again. The last time I'd seen so much chaos. So much pain. So much death. _But what about Lydia?_

'I can do it,' I told him, nodding at him reassuringly, but I heard Stiles released an anxious breath.

'No, okay,' he said, turning to me in a hushed voice. 'I saw you when you were looking at those pictures this morning.' His eyes were concerned. 'I can do this. You don't have to come.' I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, another voice interrupted me.

'Come on, she's not a baby!' Malia exclaimed. We all turned to stare at the coyote in shock. At first, she'd been talking just to Scott and Stiles, but now she looked me dead in the eye. 'Sure, some psychotic jackass tortured you for seven months. Big deal!' I noticed Kira wince at that part. I simply just stared. 'You're frickin' Alexia Marshall! You don't take crap from anyone and you sure as hell aren't gonna let Lydia die because of what some other asshole did to you. You're too damn good for that.'

There was an awkward silence as everyone tried to gage what my reaction would be. I could see Stiles grimacing out of the corner of my eye. 'Yeah, what she said,' I responded finally, letting a smirk pull at my lips as I nodded towards the coyote. 'So how do we save Lydia?'

* * *

It was hot and stuffy inside the black body bag as Parrish drove us into Eichen House. This was me and Stiles' way in and Scott and Liam were coming with us to make sure we got to the closed unit safely. I tried to remain as calm as possible, counting the turns and bumps in the road as we travelled.

Kira and Malia had gone through the front door to cause the brownout which would reset the security card that Stiles had stolen. This meant we would hopefully be able to get in and grab Lydia without too may hiccups on the way.

I felt the van slow and the doors open. I held my breath, hearing the sounds of two voices just above me. I hoped that the other were okay and not freaking out. This wasn't exactly the most pleasant way to spend an evening. Not before long, I heard the doors of the van slam shut and we were moving again.

Soon, I felt myself be lifted onto something hard and I tried to remain rigid like a real dead body would be. I had suggested that it might've been easier if I was actually dead, but Stiles had wildly disagreed with that idea. Once I was sure that whoever had brought us into the morgue was gone, I unzipped the bag and jumped off the table, shaking out my limbs after lying so still for so long. Liam and Scott were just emerging from their bags and I walked over to Stiles who was struggling to get his undone. I opened it quickly and helped him out.

'How'd you get out of yours so quickly?' the sarcastic teen asked as he panted, shaking out his t shirt from the heat. I smirked at him.

'Not my first time in one of these,' I said, shaking my own body bag at him. He grimaced.

'That will never not freak me out,' he replied.

'How long do we have?' Liam piped up, jumping down off the table. Scott checked his phone.

'Fifteen minutes starting now,' he said. We quietly walked over to the door and Scott listened for footsteps outside. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he swung to door open and we headed out.

The corridors were dark and confining, reminding me of the facility I was in. I forced my mind away from it though, focusing on what Malia had said. _You're not a baby._ I told myself. _You're here for Lydia. That's all that matters._

We headed around a corner and Stiles came to a stop. Ahead of us were two orderlies blocking our path.

'What are they doing there,' I hissed as he hid against the wall. Stiles frowned.

'I don't know,' he sighed. 'Their rounds should've ended five minutes ago.'

'I can take them,' Liam said. I rolled my eyes at the young beta as I pulled out my Glock and checked the clip.

' _I_ can take them,' I said pointedly.

'No one's taking anyone,' Scott told us trying to figure out a way of getting through without hurting anyone. I my book, a little collateral damage never did any harm, but from the look the teen wolf was sending me, I could tell he didn't agree. I put the gun away.

'Did you take the doctor?' The anxious voice came from opposite us and I turned to see a kid behind glass. He was obviously a patient and he knocked on the glass as he spoke to us. 'I haven't had my medication?'

'What?' Scott asked, clearly confused at what this kid was talking about.

'Dr Ferris,' the boy said as he continued to bang on the glass. Part of me felt bad for him, but the other part, the part that wanted nothing else but to get Lydia out of here, just wished he would shut up. He was going to blow our cover.

'Somebody shut him up,' Stiles whispered. I peeped my head around the corner to see that the two orderlies were making their way towards us. The boy kept on banging on the window, repeating how he needed his medication.

'I need to see the doctor,' he whined.

'Shut him up,' Stiles said again. I looked to Scott, sending him a pointed look. He knew what he had to do. The alpha took a deep breath before letting his fangs descend from his jaw, his eyes flashing red. The boy shut up instantly and took a step away from the glass, his face pure shock.

The two men approaching us took a left and headed out of a side door, having not noticed us. We ran down the corridor just as the lights started to flicker and go out. _Kira did it._ We made it to the gate as Stiles pulled out the key card. He fumbled for a moment, his gaze frantically scanning around the gate before he bit his lip.

'Where's the card reader,' he said. I frowned at him, taking a look for myself when I realised that there wasn't one.

'It should be here, right?' I clarified.

'They must have taken it out when the Dread Doctors got through,' Liam suggested. I punched the wall with my fist in frustration.

'Are you telling me we came all the way down here just to be stopped by an ordinary key?' Stiles asked incredulously. 'Are you kidding me?'

'We don't need a key,' Liam said. 'Not if we can break it down.'

Stiles and I stood back as Liam and Scott started to push at the metal gate to get it open. After trying their hardest to bust it open, they stepped away defeatedly.

'We can't,' Scott panted. 'The Mountain Ash. It's too much.' I huffed in irritation, kicking at the gate with my boot. It didn't shift. And I let out a groan of annoyance. We were running out of time.

'Hit me,' Liam said suddenly. We all turned to the young beta in confusion.

'What?' Scott asked.

'Hit me,' he said again. 'I'll get angry then I'll get stronger.' Scott seemed reluctant.

'Hit him,' Stiles prompted his friend, realised that we needed to do whatever needed to be done in order to break through this gate and get to Lydia. 'Hit him!'

'For God's sakes, I'll hit him,' I said, pushing my way towards the teen and landing a punch right across his face. There was a crack as my fist collided with his jaw and I stepped back, oddly a little satisfied. 'That's for hanging up on me,' I told him evenly. He looked a little terrified but he knew what I was talking about. I turned to Scott who was sending me a questioning look and I smirked at him as I slapped his shoulder. 'He's all yours.'

'I tried to take your powers,' Liam said to Scott. 'I tried to kill you. Hit me!'

'He also left you for dead,' Stiles chimed in. I nudged him in the ribs.

'I wanted you dead!' Liam exclaimed. _Smack._ Scott's fist collided with Liam's face and he went down, groaning as he hit the ground. The true alpha's right hook was clearly more powerful than mine. 'Do it again,' Liam yelled. _Smack_. Another hit. 'Do it! Do it!' _Smack!_

'You angry?' Scott asked as Liam stood up. His eyes were glowing a deep amber and his fangs were bared. I think that gave him the answer he was looking for. 'Let's do this.'

The two werewolves turned back to the gaze and used all the strength they could muster the push the gate down. Finally, the thing fell down with a loud crack.

'Stiles, go!' I said, pushing him towards the open gate. I followed after him, easily stepping over the mountain ash barrier and into the closed unit. We sprinted down the corridor, coming to another gate where he slid the key card into the reader and we were able to get through. I sped after him, coming to an abrupt stop when he halted outside a room.

I stared in after him, the gory sight making my heart pound in my chest. Lying on a bloodied pillow with restraints holding her thin frame down, was Lydia.

'Stiles...' she whispered as he approached the bed, kneeling down beside her and tilting her head to the side. Although I hung back, I could see the gaping wound at the base of her skull. Bile rose in my throat but I forced it back down. _You're okay._ I repeated. _You're here for Lydia._ I glanced at the metal table. A blood-stained drill lay on it.

'You can't be here,' Lydia said, her wide eyes glancing between Stiles and I. 'You're going to die if you stay. All of you.' I watched as Stiles pulled at the restraints and I rushed to the other side of the bed, trying to undo the restraints on her other arm.

'Stiles, he's coming,' Lydia said. I gasped at her words as I fell back against the wall. I could hear Stiles pleading with Lydia, telling her he wasn't going to leave her, but it was all so fuzzy. All I could hear was the sirens in my head growing louder and louder.

( _Three years ago)_

 _As soon as the beeping started I was on my feet and at the glass. A red light flashed at the end of the corridor before all the lights went out. Electricity hummed in my head and I closed my eyes tightly, trying to force the sound away. I was so jumpy._

 _The lights flickered on and off, casting shadows across the room and corridor. I pressed my face to the glass, trying to see out. It was too dark. Opposite me I could see a someone else standing in their glass cage. I glanced down the corridor again to see others at the windows as well. One man had his claws scratching at the glass, but that was no different from usual for him._

 _I banged on the glass as I tried to break it but it was no use. I ended up shattering my knuckles but I didn't care. It didn't hurt anyway. I glanced up, catching sight of the woman opposite me again. She was staring at me. Even through all the chaos and shouting, she was staring right at me._

 _'_ _Hey!' I yelled, my voice hoarse. She looked at me blankly before saying something, but I didn't hear what it was._

 _'_ _What?!' I yelled, trying to hear her over the alarm. 'What did you say?!' Her eyes were wide as she stared before she pressed a hand to the glass._

 _'_ _He's coming.' Suddenly, the flickering light began to spark, along with the other electrical appliances. It must've been some kid of power surge. I carried on banging on the glass as I screamed. I could take it anymore. I needed to get out. I pounded after, screaming and screaming to be set free. Just as my shouts began to die away, the electric lock on the door sparked and it popped open._

(Present day)

'Alex!' Stiles' yell yanked me out of my memory and I glanced up at him. He was breathing heavily and looked terrified. 'You okay?' His voice was harsh from the anxiety and stress that we were both feeling. I nodded quickly as I stood up but he didn't look convinced. I could see him eyeing my shaking hands.

'You need to go,' Lydia pleaded with us.

'Lydia, we're not leaving you here,' Stiles told her.

'You have to.' I pressed my back against the wall as I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force back the memories of the night I'd escaped from the research facility. It was a night stained with blood and grief and if I wanted to get Lydia out safely, I needed to focus.

'Come on,' I heard Stiles say as he grabbed my arm, practically dragging me out of Lydia's room. He pushed me to the ground around the corner of Lydia's room and told me to stay quiet as we waited. 'What was that?' he asked after a moment. 'Hmm? Flashback? Panic attack? PTSD?' I squeezed my eyes shut as I rubbed my forehead.

'I dunno,' I replied in a whisper. Stiles shook his head at me.

'Crap,' he said as he looked at me in concern. 'We shouldn't've dragged you into this.'

'I'm fine,' I insisted. We waited for a while in silence before we heard footsteps.

'That's Valack,' he said as we looked back, seeing a doctor entering Lydia's room. We listened as they spoke, straining our ears.

'Will Scott be coming for you?' Valack was asking. Stiles and I pressed further into the wall, trying to get as close as possible to Lydia's room without being seen.

'Someone's coming,' Lydia said as a loud buzzing rang through the unit. 'But it's not Scott.'

Stiles and I watched as Theo and three other chimeras walked down the corridor to Lydia's room. I recognised only one. It was Corey, the kid who'd blead mercury and then been killed but the dread doctors. I guessed the other two were the same as well. They'd all been brought back.

The girl, who's skin had a reptilian quality to it ran into Lydia's room, bringing Valack out and slamming him against the wall, her claws on his throat.

'I can't believe this is actually a medical establishment,' Theo said to the doctor. Seeing his face made me want to kill something and Stiles had to hold me back so I wouldn't tear his throat out right there. It wasn't hard considering the mess I was in.

'Now what would a pack of Chimeras want with a Banshee?' Valack asked. That was exactly what I was thinking.

'I don't want a Banshee,' Theo said. 'I'm looking for a Hellhound.' My eyes widened as I finally connected the dots.

'Parrish,' I whispered, things starting to make sense.

Suddenly, there was a deep growl. Stiles and I looked up, spotting what looked like Parrish at the gate at the other end of the corridor. But he didn't look quite like I remembered. His skin was glowing, flames licking his body as he grabbed onto the gate. His whole form was on fire.

The metal gate warped under the heat of Parrish's hands and it feel forward, allowing the deputy access to the unit.

'You wanted a Hellhound,' Valack said as we all stared at him. 'I think you found one.'

Parrish started to approach and I shoved Stiles further down the corridor. A confrontation between a Hellhound and a pack of Chimeras was certainly not something I wanted him stuck in the middle of.

All of a sudden, a loud beeping started and we both clamped out hands down on our ears. We could hear growling and shouting in the distance – no doubt they were coming from Scott and Liam who'd inevitably been discovered by the guards.

'Lockdown,' Stiles said as we both stared at the flashing lights. The whole of Eichen House was shutting down, sealing us all on the inside.

'What do we do?' I asked my friend next to me. We were both breathing heavily as we stared at each other, nothing else but fear coursing through our veins. 'Stiles, what the hell do we do?'

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **AN: Dun dun daaaaa**

 **So they're trying to bust Lydia out of Eichen House and it bringing back some bad memories for Alex :(**

 **Hope you liked this chapter. Would love to hear your thoughts on it and what's happened so far.**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	19. Chapter 18 - The Great Escape

Stiles and I watched as Parrish approached the chimera pack. His sharp teeth were bared as he snarled at them, his ashy skin glowing.

"Back off," Theo warned as he grabbed Lydia, his claws circling around the banshee's throat. It was me who had to hold Stiles back this time. "I said back off!" Parrish didn't seem to take any notice of the chimera's threats. Instead, he carried on advancing forward, causing the lizard like girl to trust her claws into his stomach. He barely even flinched as he tossed her aside.

Then the other chimera was having a go. He grabbed one of the electricity lines and seemed to absorb the power into his body. His hand sparked with blue light as if he were creating his own electric sparks. The boy grabbed the hell hound, but instead of Parrish being thrown back, he simply remained as he was before slamming the boy into the wall.

Unexpectedly, Valack managed to get hold of his trepanation drill and jam in into Theo's leg. Call me sick but I did feel a great sense of satisfaction as the asshole cried out in pain, releasing Lydia from his grasp in the process.

'Sorry, Theo. But I'm not done with her yet,' Valack said as he grabbed Lydia from the floor. Stiles and I jumper up as he dragged Lydia away, blocking his pathway. I glared at him.

'Oh, I think you're done,' I said before Corey was thrown down the hall way, knocking both Stiles and I off our feet. We pushed the kid off of us, my eyes focusing on Theo as he threw a metal pole at Parrish. I winced as it embedded itself in his chest.

'Lydia!' Stiles was yelling as Valack dragged her further down the hallway. We hurried after them as they went through a door, only for it to slam in our faces. 'Lydia!' the teen yelled as he hammered on the door but it wouldn't open. 'Lydia!'

'Let me try,' Theo said from behind us. Before I had a chance to punch him in the face he had kicked the door in and I was running after Stiles. 'You're not gonna find her without me,' I heard him call after us as we raced away.

'Go to hell!' I yelled back angrily. That kid really had a knack for pissing me off. I followed Stiles down the corridor until we came to a stop at another gate.

'Stiles,' Theo breathed as he caught up to us. I turned around, sending him a glare as I pushed him against the wall, my forearm at his neck. 'I want her out of here too,' he said, his eyes on the teen beside me. 'I've got her scent.'

'What do you want?' Stiles asked.

'What's the difference?' he replied. I shoved him harder against the wall. 'I can find her, you can't.'

Stiles was silent for a moment and I looked back to him. I didn't want Theo coming with us, but this was Stiles' call. I'd back him either way. He nodded at me and I back away from the Chimera.

'You try anything, you're dead,' I warned. He nodded in understanding.

A hissing sound filled my ears and we looked up, spotting a window between two rooms that had steam pouring out of it. I frowned at it, pushing open the door underneath. It appeared to be a shower room filled with half a dozen or so people. They cowered away at the sight of us as we entered and I had to say, being the only female in a male-only washroom did make me feel a little uncomfortable.

We carried on through and Theo gestured to a grating in the floor. We knelt down beside it as we considered the possibility that Valack and Lydia might be down there.

'It leads to the tunnels, doesn't it?' Theo asked.

'There's miles of them,' Stiles said as he ran his hand through his chocolate hair anxiously. 'They could be anywhere by now.' I squinted down the dark tunnel, wondering how Valack could've made it down the ladder with Lydia in tow.

'Come on,' I said as I grabbed the grating and pulled it up, tossing it to the side on the shower room. 'Let's go find Lydia.'

The two teens followed me down into the tunnels and when we made it to the bottom, I let Theo take the lead. As much as it pissed me off to feel like we needed him, he did have the superior sense of smell. I needed to care less about my pride and focus on what mattered: saving Lydia.

'What are you doing?' I asked the Chimera when he paused in his tracks, pressing his ear to the pipes running down the walls.

'I thought you had her scent?' Stiles asked.

'I lost it,' Theo replied.

'Then find it again,' I prompted with a threatening stare. Theo rolled his eyes at me.

'What do you smell down here, Stiles?' Theo asked, focusing on my friend. It was clear he didn't want to engage in any form on conversation with me and if I was honest, that was completely fine with me.

'Chemicals and faecal matter.' Stiles replied. 'Although I'm pretty sure the faecal matter is you.' I snorted in amusement at that.

'I smell it too,' Theo said, ignoring Stiles' comment. 'It's all I can smell, which is why I'm trying something else. So, can you shut up and let me concentrate?' I glared at him bet kept quiet. He was out best shot at getting to Lydia before Valack didn't anything else to her.

'I'm gonna find her,' Stiles said, pushing past the Chimera and further down the tunnels. I walked after him, not wanting to leave him alone for a second. These tunnels could just as easily turn into tombs.

'You know you won't,' Theo said as he followed us. 'You're going to have to trust me.'

'Trust you?' Stiles asked incredulously. 'The guy who murdered his own sister when he was nine?'

'You murdered your own sister?' I asked with a raised brow. I knew this guy was a psycho but didtn think he'd having something like _that_ in him.

'Yeah, I was nine years old,' Theo admitted. 'I also believed a guy in a red suit came down the chimney to deliver presents. So, when three people in leather masks showed up and said that my sister wanted me to have her heart, I believed them, too.'

'So then together you gutted and killed her,' I filled in for him, my expression disgusted. 'That's a beautiful story.'

'I watched her fall into the water and freeze to death in minutes,' Theo explained. 'Do you think I had any idea what was going on?'

'I think you pushed her,' Stiles said through gritted teeth. 'And I think you liked it.'

'You are one sick son-of-a-bitch,' I muttered under my breath before a blood curdling scream rang though the tunnels.

 _Lydia._

It echoed off every concrete wall, rebounding through the underground corridors so that it surrounded us from all angle. There was no way to tell where it came from.

'What direction was that?' Stiles asked, turning to both of us. 'Where is it coming from?' Theo's eyes darted around the darkness as he tried to locate the source.

'Everywhere,' Theo replied.

'We should split up,' Stiles said as he darted off down one of the tunnels.

'Stiles!' I yelled after him but he took no notice. He was too focused on finding Lydia. I turned to Theo and sent him a shrug. 'You heard him,' I said before we both sped off in opposite directions to find the source of the screams.

They'd died down now and I was finding it more and more difficult to navigate my way through the darkness. It was times like these when I felt like my ability was useless. I didn't have super strength or speed. I couldn't hear, see and smell things like a werewolf could. My only advantage was in a fight. I was useless as a human when it came to finding someone.

After what felt like hours of running aimlessly through the bleak concrete corridors I spotted Stiles and Theo up ahead of me. I jogged towards them and Stiles flinched at my presence when I caught up to them. He shot me a look, a look laced with mistrust before it had vanished. I frowned at him, feeling a tad uneasy. _What was that about?_

'Nothing,' Theo said, informing me on the shit-all they had discovered.

'Great,' Stiles replied sarcastically. 'You're just as useless as I am.'

'I'm trying to help save her life,' Theo insisted.

'Would you just drop the altruistic crap?' Stiles said harshly. 'You want Lydia because she gets you to Parrish, you want Parrish 'cause he gets you to the Beast.'

'So what? I want it dead, too,' Theo argued.

'After you take its power, right?' Stiles asked. 'We know why you got the talons and we know you're looking for Deucalion.' I remembered Stiles telling me about Deucalion when I'd first arrived in Beacon Hills. He was the werewolf that had wanted Scott to be part of his pack. The alpha of the alpha's. He'd tried to kill Derek. I'd never met the guy, but I already hated him.

'I found Deucalion,' Theo said. 'You're right. I'm going to help Parrish stop the Beast. I'm going to take its power. And then I'm going to break its neck. So maybe I'm not the good guy in your eyes, but I might end up being the guy that saves all your asses.' _Doubtful._ Maybe I'd break his head first. Stiles shook his head before his eyes fixed on the pipes lining the walls.

'Break it,' he instructed Theo. The chimera sent him a confused look.

'What?' Theo asked.

'The sound travels through the pipe,' I muttered, catching on to Stiles' plan.

'You'll hear better, dumb-ass,' Stiles told him. 'Break it.' The chimera took a breath before ramming his fist into the metal pipe, breaking off a section. He bent down, turning his head and putting his ear next to the open pipe.

'What do you hear?' I asked, desperate to find the banshee. I wasn't going to let her die. That had never been an option. 'Theo, what do you hear?'

'I know where she is.'

* * *

'Lydia!' I yelled as we banged on the door. We knew she was inside there with Valack and we needed to get in as fast as possible. Who knew what he was going to do to her. 'Lydia!'

'What the hell are you doing, get the door open,' Stiles told Theo as he kicked at it. We could hear the screams coming from inside, signalling the urgency of the situation.

'I'm trying!' Theo yelled back as he kicked at the door again. Suddenly a scream louder than anything I'd ever heard resonated through the air, causing the three of us to clamp our hands down hard over our ears. The noise made us cower over, the force of it ripping through each of us. Once it had subsided, Theo grabbed the door handle, the metal breaking off in his hands.

Stiles and I pushed though the double doors, the teen running straight to the strawberry blonde's side as I located Valack. I frowned at his body on the floor. Half of his skull was missing, blood oozing out onto the floor. I kicked him in the ribs for good measure, grabbing the trepanation drill from the desk.

'Alex!' Stiles yelled, already halfway out the door as he supported Lydia's weight.

I stared at the sick bastard on the floor, the drill hovering inches away from his eye.

'You better be glad you died before I got my hands on you,' I spat at him as I threw the drill to the ground. 'Monsters like you make me sick.'

'Alex, come on!' Stiles yelled for my again. With one last look of disgust I pushed past Theo and after my two friends, uncaring as to why Theo was hanging back.

I caught up quickly, flanking Lydia on the other side as I pulled her arm over my shoulders, taking some of the weight from Stiles. We stumbled though the tunnels. Lydia wasn't in the best shape, the gaping hole in her head not making the situation any better. She was trying to hold back her screams but she was growing weak. We needed to get her out of there as soon as possible.

'Okay, you gotta try and stay on your feet,' Stiles said as we tried to keep her upright. She groaned in pain, almost falling to the ground before I tightened my grip on her arm. 'The plan didn't work out too well. So, we're gonna need your help, okay?'

'You had a plan?' Lydia asked.

'It was good on paper,' Stiles replied. 'Not too much in reality.' I could tell Lydia was struggling to keep it together, so I had to come up with my own plan. And fast.

'Stiles, if she can't hold it, you've gotta run ahead,' I told him. 'Get as far away from the scream as possible.

'What about you?' he asked. I shot him a look.

'I'll survive,' I replied.

'Really?' Stiles asked incredulously as we barged through a door. 'You've had half your head blow off before and survived?' I bit my lip.

'There's a first time for everything,' I replied. Unexpectedly, Lydia dropped to the ground, her hands flying to her head as he gripped at her hair for dear life.

'I can't hold it,' she screamed, the sound echoing through the corridors.

'Stiles, run!' I yelled at him, pushing him away from the banshee. At that moment, Parrish rounded the corner, throwing Stiles behind him as he made his way towards Lydia. I was still there though, and the banshee didn't seem to be able to hold in her screams any longer. I watched as Parrish folder his arms around Lydia's body right before she released her earth-shattering scream – the one Deaton said would kill everyone in its presence. But as Parrish covered her with his smouldering body, the scream seemed to become muffled, the hell hound's power creating a forcefield around it.

The impact of the scream was still massive, a wave of energy throwing me back against the concrete. From the corner of my eye I could see Stiles, though he appeared to be out of the impact zone. I held my hands over my ears as I crumpled to the floor. I could feel the blood running down my forehead where it had collided with the floor, but at least I still _had_ a forehead. That was all down to Parrish.

The walls were shaken and rattled, dust and pieces of concrete falling from the ceiling. The room was filled with the dust, making it impossible to see. I crawled through it once the screaming had stopped, coming across Scott, Stiles and Liam who seemed to be relatively intact after witnessing the banshee's scream.

Scott held out a hand to me and pulled me to my feet as we stared at the cloud of dust. After a beat of silence, the hell hound emerged, Lydia in his arms. At first I had a horrible feeling that she was dead, but when I heard her groan, I knew she was still with us. Parrish was back to being himself, the flames that had encompassed his body completely gone.

'Where to?' he asked the alpha as he held the banshee safely.

'This way.'

* * *

It was a stressful drive to the animal clinic. One of Lydia's screams almost shattered the windshield of Stiles' jeep. Once we'd make it, we helped her inside to Deaton.

'Get her on the table,' the veterinarian instructed. Stiles lifted the strawberry blonde onto the table, his hand brushing over her hair to try to calm her down.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa,' he said as she writhed on the table.

'Hold her,' Deaton instructed. I went to her other side, grabbing her hand in my own to try and comfort her, my other hand pressing firmly on her shoulder. She screamed again, the shelves of the clinic rattling from the vibrations she sent through the air.

'Doc, I think you gotta do something,' Stiles said, his voice worried as the room shook.

'I will. But right now, I need you to keep her still,' Deaton replied. He hurried over, a large metal syringe in his hand.

'What the hell is that?' Stiles asked wearily.

'Mistletoe,' he said. I frowned.

'Mistletoe? She's got a fricking hole in her head,' I said incredulously. I didn't see how that was going to help her. After all, I thought mistletoe was poisonous.

'Steady,' Deaton warned, placing the head of the syringe at the hole in the banshee's skull before pressing the plunger, the contents filling the wound. As soon as it was in, Lydia bolted upright, releasing a might scream from her lungs that shattered all the windows. Scott, Deaton and I covered our heads whilst Stiles shielded Lydia's body from the glass. It tumbled down all around us and when it was over, we looked up, out breathing manic.

'Lydia,' Stiles said. I watched him as he brushed a few tiny shards of glass off of her face. 'Lydia? Lydia.' There was no response and I pressed my eyelids shut, my hands holding my head. 'Lydia, come on.' Stiles continued to try and coax her awake, each time with no response. I felt my stomach drop at the sight of my friend, Lydia Martin. Her still body lying on the metal table.

'No, no, no, no, no. Come on, Lydia,' Stiles continued, his voice cracking. I could feel tears pricking in my eyes as he tried to shake her awake. 'Wake up. Come on. Wake up. Can you hear me?' I looked to Scott and he caught my eye. I wanted to see some kind of hope in his eyes. Something that would make me believe Lydia was going to be okay. That she _would_ wake up, but all I saw was a deep sadness.

'Lydia, open your eyes. Come on, come on,' Stiles muttered, tears forming in his own eyes. He was frantic. Desperate. We all were. 'Come on. Listen to me, Lydia. Hey, show me your eyes, okay? Lydia, you have to open your eyes.'

Suddenly, like a miracle, her dry lips took a breath, her eyes fluttering open. I released a relieved breath as she looked around. For a second she looked terrified as if she wasn't sure where she was, but once her eyes had focused on the sarcastic teen above her, it was like the pieces of her world snapped into place.

'You're okay,' Stiles breathed as a smile spread across his lips, his hand gripping Lydia's tightly. 'Want to try to sit up?' She nodded and I moved behind her to help her to do so, Stiles' grip still firmly on her hand. We pulled her into a sitting position and I rubbed gentle circles into her back, trying to be as comforting as possible.

'Mom?' Lydia's soft voice said as she stared at the newcomer. I hadn't noticed the woman standing at the door. The banshee smiled at her as she approached.

'Oh, honey,' she said, wrapping her arms around her daughter in a warm embrace as Lydia sank into her, a content smile on her face,

'They saved my life, Mom,' Lydia told her mother, her eyes shifting over to the chocolate haired teen. 'Stiles saved me.'

* * *

The night air was cold as I sat on the curb outside the animal clinic. It seemed fresh and I breathed it into my lungs, loving the freedom I felt with every inhale. We hadn't lost anyone today – well, we hadn't lost anyone we cared about. Lydia was safe and that was all that seemed to matter.

I didn't look up when I heard footsteps approaching behind me. Stiles' footfalls weren't hard to distinguish. He joined me on the curb, plonking himself down right beside me as he rubbed a hand over his tired looking face. It had been a long day (and night for that matter). I wasn't sure of the time but I didn't think it would be took long before the sun emerged over the horizon. Although I didn't need sleep, I knew the human among us did. Stiles must've been exhausted.

'How's she doing?' I asked quietly.

'Okay, I think,' he replied. 'Her mom's gonna take her home in the morning.' I nodded at his answer, glad that that banshee was safe. 'Thanks for your help today,' he said after a beat. 'I know it must've been hard for you to go back to a place like that.'

'You managed it,' I said, casting him a knowing look. It was no secret that Stiles had done his own stint in Eichen house a year or so ago, though he never had to visit the closed unit in that time. We fell back into silence and for a moment I wondered if he had fallen asleep as he sat.

'I have to tell you something,' he said, his tone taking on a more serious tone than his previously light one. 'Something Theo told me.' I was about to make a joke, say something along the line of _well this ought to be good_ or _what bullshit has me been spreading now?_ But then I remembered the look Stiles had sent me in the tunnels after he and Theo had been left alone. Earlier that evening, I had interpreted it as a look of mistrust, but now, after hearing the worry laced in his voice, I identified it as fear. Not fear of me, but fear _for_ me. Whatever Theo had told Stiles had really bothered him.

'What did he tell you?' I asked in a low voice.

'He told me something about you,' he said. I held my breath. 'I don't know what it means. I don't even know if he was telling the truth.'

'What did he say,' I asked, growing more urgent.

'He knows what you are, Alex' Stiles said nervously. 'And he thinks you know it too, you just don't see it.'

'Stiles,' I warned. 'What did Theo say?' The teen took a breath as if he were psyching himself up to face a lion in the gladiator's arena. Or something worse.

'He said that you're a Chimera.'

* * *

 **AN: So they managed to get Lydia out of Eichen and Theo dropped a bit of a bombshell. You'll have to wait and see how this new info unfolds - and if Theo was even telling the truth!**

 **Ooh mysterious...**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	20. Chapter 19 - The Exception

My foot was on the floor as I sped through the preserve. All I could think about was what Stiles had told me about who I was. _A Chimera?_ It couldn't be true. There was no way I was like them. I wasn't exactly sure where I was planning on driving to, but I just needed some time alone. After Stiles had told me what Theo said I'd pretty much bolted straight away, not sticking around long enough for him to give me any words of wisdom. I probably needed them right now.

As I rounded the corner the tires screeched on the tarmac. I knew I was probably going way to fast but I didn't really care. It wasn't like the sheriff was going to give me a speeding ticket.

I heard the low grumble of another engine behind me and I checked my rear-view mirror to see a black truck pulling up behind me. My hands tightened on the steering wheel. They were driving a little too close for comfort, especially at this speed. I beeped at them, warning them that they weren't leaving enough distance between the front of their car and the back of mine. If I had to do an emergency stop they would have hit me for sure. I rolled my eyes as I beeped again, keeping one eye on the road and the other on the mirror.

He didn't back off. I tired going a little faster to get more distance between us, but my foot was already on the floor. Any faster and I worried I would lose control of the vehicle all together. I thought about pulling over, but at these speeds, that would be dangerous. I doubted the person behind could heal like I could - it was probably just a stupid kid who just got his license. Driving in the middle of the night…

I huffed to myself as I tried to send the driver a stern look, telling him to back off. Suddenly, they pulled put into the other lane but luckily, there wasn't a car coming. Otherwise there would have been a head-on collision for sure. I cursed under my breath at his stupidity. _What the fuck was this guy doing?_ Was he really trying to overtake on this road? He pulled up to my left and matched my speed and I glanced over at the driver.

I recognised him immediately. It was the Chimera - electricity guy. I'd seen him for the first time the night before in Eichen house. _What was his name again? John? Jason?_ Right now, I could think of multiple other colourful things I could call him.

He swerved towards me and I sent him a glare. I knew he was trying to run me off the road but I tried to steer straight. This had to be down to Theo. No way this dumbass would come after me of his own accord. He tried swerving again but it didn't work. I stayed put. Just when I thought he would back off, he sped up.

It all happened so fast. He started to turn into my lane and I knew I couldn't go into the side of his car. Although I knew he was trying to hurt me I couldn't crash into his car. If I did, I wasn't sure he could recover from the damage. He pulled up in front of me, the vehicle turning perpendicular to mine. I slammed on the breaks whilst throwing the steering wheel to the right, the tires screeching on the road as the car rolled to the side.

I was thrown over and over. Metal scraped against my flesh. My skull smashed through the driver's window. But it kept moving, the speed propelling the car further off the road until it hit a tree, the skeleton of the car moulding around the trunk.

Although I couldn't see it from the outside, I knew the car was a right off. It was crumpled and bent and broken, much like my body. I didn't move for a long time, simply remaining as still as possible with my face pressed into the dirt on the forest floor. As I breathed, I could taste the gritty mud.

For the most fleeting moment, I felt nothing at all. Not even a slight stinging from the branch that had pierced the windscreen and embedded itself in my side. It didn't seem to have ruptured anything major though. If it had I would have been throwing up blood.

It was a strange sensation of not being able to move and not feeling anything at all. I had experienced similar in the past but nothing quite like this. Nothing quite so still. Silent. That was when I realised I must have severed my spinal cord.

Within a couple of minutes, I could wiggle my toes and I knew my ability was kicking in. The ringing in my ears was like a siren but other that the blood I felt trickling down my forehead, my skull didn't seem to be cracked. That meant the recovery process wouldn't be too time consuming.

I felt each rib as it snapped back into place. I felt every scratch and every cut knit itself back together. I was surprised the crash hadn't killed me, but when I thought about it, the wound in my side wouldn't have been fatal for a normal human. Painful yes. But not fatal. And considering my head injury hadn't been too bad, I reckoned a normal person could have survived this. But the spinal cord thing - I was incredibly lucky. A mortal probably would've survived the initial crash, but I doubted they would've made it to a hospital. The strangest thing for me in situations like this was the thought that I should have been inching closer and closer to death with every second, but the fact was that I wasn't. If anything, I was running away from it. A normal person's condition would be rapidly declining in my situation, but not me. My body was recovering all my itself.

The branch would prove an issue though. I could feel myself trying to heal around it with no avail. I knew my shoulder was dislocated too. It twisted awkwardly at the joint and I felt pins and needles under the skin. I needed to sort that out as quickly as possible.

I shifted my body around, moving my good arm across so I could grasp the dislocated one. The space was cramped, the air bag that had failed to dampen the blow getting in the way. Once I had it in a firm grip, I yanked it upwards, letting a groan of relief leave my lips as I heard it crack into place. Now I could use both hands to deal with the branch.

It hadn't gone all the way through. In fact, it had only gone in about an inch and a half. It had bled a lot though, making the wound look far worse that it was. I thanked my lucky stars that blood loss wasn't much of an issue for me. Usually. Not before long I had managed to remove it from my side, the wound healing instantly.

I unhooked my belt which had somewhat been holding me in place so I fell a little way when it released. The car was on its side, causing me to be a little disorientated. The other thing was that the car was so mangled that I wasn't sure how to get out. It was like a metallic cave, enclosing me from the outside world. Once I had my bearings I knew what I had to do. I could see light above me from the passenger window. It was shattered too. That was my way out.

I heaved myself through the car, pulling myself with as much strength as I could gather. I still ached horrendously. My hair was full of dirt and shards of glass. My muscles killed. Although my wounds had healed I was still covered in blood.

When my hand broke out into the cool breeze of the outside world I released a breath. I hoisted myself out, jumping down onto the forest floor, free from my metallic prison. I was right. The car was a complete right off. Unsurprisingly, the chimera wasn't around anymore, clearly having driven away after the stunt he had pulled. Not cool.

* * *

I knocked impatiently on the door, resting another hand on the frame to keep myself upright. My bag was slung over my shoulder. I'd retrieved it from the back seat of the wreckage with minimal difficulty, though the fabric had been ripped in placed by the shattered glass. I had been wrong when I thought I was completely healed. My superficial wounds on the outside may have, but I was pretty sure my body was still recovering from some internal damage. My chest heaved with every intake of air, much to my annoyance. I had run here all the way from the car wreck with some pretty serious internal bleeding and quite possibly a punctured lung. To be frank, I felt and looked like shit.

The door swung open, revealing the newly discovered hell hound himself. He looked like shit too, making me feel moderately better about myself.

He looked surprised to see me, and also concerned that I should show up at his apartment in the middle of the night. I watched as his eyes wandered to my top, the fact that it was white accentuating the blood stains that covered it. His features contorted in concern and I rolled my eyes.

'Don't worry, it's mine,' I said flatly, pushing past him to enter his apartment. He turned slowly, still a little shocked at my sudden appearance.

'Is that supposed to make me feel better?' he asked, watching me incredulously as I plonked myself down on his couch, pulling a piece of glass from my arm that I had missed and dropping it onto the coffee table. 'What the hell happened to you?'

'I got in bar fight,' I drawled sarcastically. Parrish rolled his eyes at me before swinging the door shut. 'Could you do me a favour and call dispatch? Tell them there's a wreckage on the main road through the preserve a couple miles in?' He raised a concerned brow.

'You were in a car accident?' he asked. I scoffed.

'Accident,' I repeated. 'Yeah right.'

'We can go pick it up now if you want?' he suggested. 'I can tow you to a mechanics?'

'Don't bother. It's a complete right off.' I groaned as I shifted in my seat, something uncomfortable sticking into my side. 'Crap,' I muttered as I lifted my shirt a little. One of my ribs pocked out of my skin, the break stinging quite a bit. I grimaced as I shoved it back in, feeling it pop pack into place. I looked up to see Parrish staring at me. He looked like he might either faint or vomit. Or both.

'So, uh…hellhound?' He sighed, clearly exasperated after the long night we'd both had. 'How do you feel?' My face knotted into a wince as I waited for his reply.

'I don't know how to even answer that anymore,' he said defeatedly. 'Eight months ago, I was just me. Now, I set on fire and… steal the bodies of dead teenagers.'

'Yeah, life is weird like that,' I drawled. I knew I should really be more sympathetic towards the young deputy, but I had so much on my own mind that I really had no room for anything else right that second. I knew I was being selfish, but I was only one person. I couldn't carry everyone else's baggage too. He snorted, a frown settling on his boyish face as he took a seat opposite me.

'I guess we're both out of the club,' he said. I raised a brow at him, silently asking him what he meant. 'I know what I am, you know what you are.' _Oh that._ 'You were gonna tell me about it – I mean I don't have any tequila or anything but…' He trailed off. My lips twitched a little into a smile before I shook my head.

'I thought I knew, but now…' Stiles' words meandered through my mind. _He said that you're a Chimera_. What did that even mean? I didn't have fangs. I didn't have strength or speed or claws or anything else like that. 'I don't know what to think.' He nodded slowly and I knew he wanted to press me for more answers. I was thankful he didn't.

'How's Lydia doing?' he asked after a moment and I think we were both grateful for the subject change.

'She'll be fine,' I told him, relieved that at least something good had come from the last twenty-four hours. 'We couldn't've done it without her knight in shining armour.' I sent him a suggestive smirk.

'You're hilarious,' he said flatly as he rolled his eyes, though I could tell he was trying not to smile.

'Did she turn eighteen yet?'

'Shut up.' My smirk widened before I let it fall off my face.

'In all seriousness, if you hadn't showed up when you did, we all would've been in for it,' I said. He raised a dubious brow at me.

'Is that your way of saying 'thank you''?

'It's my way of saying I'm grateful the contents of my skull didn't end up on the floor.' He grimaced at my choice of words. We fell back into silence as I pulled at my top, trying to dry it out from the sticky blood. I wondered if it would be asking too much if I borrowed his shower.

'We're linked,' Parrish said. My gaze snapped up expecting to meet his but his eyes were focussed elsewhere. Actually, I wasn't sure they were actually focused on anything.

'You and Lydia,' I said back in understanding.

'That's how I knew where to find her,' he replied. I leant carefully over the arm of the couch, a satisfying crunch filling my ears as pushed an out-of-place vertebrate back into position. I rolled my eyes at the deputy as he cringed at the sound.

'You ever think it's weird how we all ended up here?' I asked out of the blue. He looked confused. 'You, me, Deaton, the Hales, the Argents, the Chimeras… every other weirdo in Beacon Hills. I mean, I've moved around a lot over the past few years and I've never been anywhere with so many-.'

'Supernaturals?' he finished for me. 'I thought the Nemeton was a beacon for supernatural creatures. And I guess wherever supernaturals go, hunters follow.'

'You think that's it?' I asked. 'Don't you think there has to be some kind of reason we're all here. Some other purpose?'

'You mean like fate?' he asked. I scoffed, the idea of it sounding ridiculous, although, part of me couldn't help but wonder.

'You don't sound convinced,' I pointed out. He shook his head.

'I don't believe in fate.' I wasn't sure I disagreed with him.

'But you believe in the power of a mystical tree stump?' I asked arching a brow at him. He smiled a little in amusement. Our lives were fucked up.

'Yeah, I guess I do,' he replied quietly. I sighed, feeling like my insides were fully intact. I still hadn't taken my mind off of Stiles' words. _How could I be a Chimera._ It wasn't even possible. I'd have to be a genetic chimera first and, as far as I knew, I wasn't one. It wasn't like I'd ever needed a blood transfusion or an organ donation. I'd come to terms with my ability a long time ago. I'd accepted that I could be a killer. I'd even started to consider the fact that I might be a hunter, but I didn't think I'd ever be able to recognise myself as a Chimera. It was just too much.

'You're a harbinger of death, right?' I asked, sinking back into the couch as I tried to take my mind off my racing thoughts. He nodded. 'And dying is kinda my thing. Maybe you and I should team up. Fight crime together.'

'Yeah, right,' he scoffed.

'We can call ourselves The Grim Reapers.,' I suggested mockingly, mostly at myself. He didn't seem to be on board. 'Come on, it'll be fun. You can be bad cop.'

'Alex.'

'Fine, I'll be bad cop.'

'You're not funny,' Parrish warned, but I couldn't help but snigger at his distress.

'I think I'm hilarious.' I wasn't sure if I'd gone too far until I saw a small twitch of his lips that were trying so hard to stay in line.

'You should go,' he said and I frowned, a pout on my lips.

'I was just kidding,' I said defensively as he stood. 'Are you seriously gonna kick me out after I've just been in a car accident?' He laughed.

'I'm not kicking you out, I just think you need to talk to Stiles. Can't avoid him forever.' He said the words carefully like he was defusing a bomb. I frowned at him.

'Who says I'm avoiding Stiles?' I asked.

'Because if everything was okay between you two, you wouldn't be here.' I bit my lip, realising he was horribly right. I would've gone straight to Stiles' house after the car crash if it wasn't for our last conversation. He was nearly always my first port of call with anything and I couldn't exactly blame it on the fact that I needed someone to call in my totalled car. Stiles' dad was the Sheriff after all.

'Right,' I said quietly as I stood up.

'I'll call in the crash in the morning,' he said as I grabbed my bag. 'Was the car yours?' I knew what he was really asking. _Was it stolen?_ It wasn't. That car was all mine, though the cash I'd used to purchase it hadn't exactly been clean money.

'I bought it under an alias,' I informed him. He nodded in understanding. He made his way over to the door to show me out as I moved in the opposite direction.

'What are you doing?' he asked with a raised brow.

'Window's quicker,' I replied as I yanked up the pane high enough so I could get out. He rolled his eyes as I stepped out onto the fire escape.

'Don't hurt yourself,' he said almost jokingly, causing me to chuckle.

'Not my first time jumping out a window,' I replied, sending him a pointed look. 'You sure you don't wanna team up against the bad guys? Last chance.' He shook his head.

'Sorry. My last partner was a bit of a let-down.'

'Haig, right. Almost forgot about him,' I said, my nose turning up in distaste.

'Yeah, well, when a friend sets you on fire for five million dollars, you develop some trust issues,' he said grimly.

'Understandable.' I was about to jump from the fire escape when I turned around, shooting Parrish a grin. 'Just so you know, it would take at least ten million dollars before I'd even consider killing you.' He rolled his eyes at me through the window. I could see the beginnings of another sunrise reflecting in the glass.

'Thanks, Alex,' he said flatly.

'You're welcome, Deputy,' I replied with a smirk before dropping to the ground.

* * *

I liked running. Even after all the years that had passed since high school, that hadn't changed. I loved the breeze through my hair. I loved the feeling of speed and power and adrenaline that pumped through my veins. The one things I did hate about running, however, was when I was interrupted.

The jeep swerved to a stop right in front of me without warning. If I hadn't been paying attention, I would've run straight into it. Stiles stumbled out of the car immediately as I glared at him.

'Where have you been?' he asked breathlessly. 'We found your car, it was totally wrecked. Were you in it when that happened?'

'No, it's a magical car that drives itself,' I snapped at him. His chest was heaving like he'd been running and I realised that I must've really stressed him out. I was glad I'd changed out of my bloody shirt before seeing him.

'We've been looking for you all night,' he told me and I felt a pang of regret in my chest. I shouldn't've run off after we'd talked. I should've at least called him. I should've…

'Did you say 'we'?' I asked with a raised brow. The teen ran a nervous hand through his hair as he gestured erratically towards the jeep. I squinted through the windshield, huffing when my eyes focussed on the alpha. 'Great, Tweedle-dee's here too.' Scott climbed out of the passenger seat and joined us on the side of the road.

'I told Scott what Theo said,' Stiles said carefully. 'And he told me about Seattle.'

'That's the last time I confide in either of you,' I muttered harshly, narrowing my eyes at the teen wolf especially.

'Alex, we're not here to argue,' Scott said softly. I crossed my arms as if to deflect his caringness. 'We wanna help you figure this out.'

'What the hell is this, some kind of intervention?' I asked incredulously. I was starting to think I preferred things when they were both mad at each other. 'Look, you two have got bigger things to worry about than me, okay? Remember that beast that's killing everyone?!'

'We know,' Stiles replied. 'But we care about you. And with Derek not around…'

'What? You're worried that if I fall apart there'll be no one to pick up the pieces?'

'No, Alex, that's not what this is about,' Scott said, sending his friend a knowing look. 'Last night when we were looking for you, we were talking and we think we might have a theory.'

'A theory?' I asked.

'About what Theo said,' Stiles filled in.

'About me being a Chimera?'

'Actually, we're not entirely sure that you are,' Scott said. I frowned at him. 'Look it's really hard to explain, but Deaton can at the animal clinic.' _Great. Another person who knows._ But they were trying to help and maybe, if Deaton could help explain what I was once and for all, it would be worth it. 'Can we take you there?' I sighed.

'Fine.'

* * *

The sharp scratch was barely detectable when the needle pierced my forearm and the Veterinarian extracted a vile of my blood. To say I was nervous was an understatement, but the three people in the examination room with me were people I trusted without question, and that calmed my anxieties considerably. On arriving at the animal clinic, I'd told them everything. Everything about Seattle, about Dylan's uncle, about my parents. It would be easier to figure out what was going on if they were all in the know.

'Just as I thought,' Deaton said as he examined a drop of my blood under a microscope. I was perched on the metal desk, Scott standing beside me. Stiles leaned against the cabinet opposite me.

'What?' I heard Stiles ask. A part of me couldn't believe the three of them were spending this time trying to help me when there was a beast on the run. The other part wanted to cry with gratefulness.

'Your blood,' Deaton said as he pulled off a pair of rubber gloves. 'It bears no significant resemblance to Theo Raeken's.'

'That's good, right?' Stiles asked. I wanted to snap at him that I could speak for myself but couldn't find it in me.

'It bears no significant resemblance to _Theo's_ ,' the Veterinarian repeated. 'It does, however, show similarities with a sample of Corey's blood taken from Malia's shirt last night.'

'What does that mean?' I asked, my eyes darting between Deaton and the two teens. 'Why would it be similar to Corey's and not Theo's?'

'Because Corey was brought back from the dead,' Scott said. I looked to him and found a sudden understanding in his eyes. 'Theo brought him and the other Chimera's back by injecting them with this serum he got from the dread doctors.' He spoke as if it all made perfect sense. It didn't to me.

'I'm still confused,' I said, turning to Deaton for answers.

'Scott's right,' he replied. 'But the serum injected into a person would only bring them back once. It doesn't make Corey immortal. A small proportion of it still lingers in his blood, but it's nothing compared to yours.' He took a breath, realising I wasn't following exactly what he was saying. 'I think a similar serum may have been used to create you.'

'But that doesn't make any sense,' I said. 'James said his uncle was the one who made me. James said I was a designer baby.'

'He also said his uncle had help,' Scott pointed out. The conversation I'd had with James floated into my head as I recalled his words about his uncle: _'_ _He couldn't do it alone,' he'd said. 'He found people who knew about the supernatural, people who had the power to make someone like you.'_

'Dylan's uncle had help from the Dread Doctors,' Scott said. 'They gave him the serum and he somehow managed to combine it with your DNA or something.'

'What? That's impossible,' I said.

'The old rules and restrictions don't apply when it comes to the Dread Doctors,' he said. 'That's why you can cross mountain ash. Maybe that's why Kanima venom doesn't work on you either.'

'Oh my God,' I muttered, my hands pressing into my temples. 'Okay, this is just… I can't.' I stuttered, shaking my head as I headed for the door. Stiles caught up to me before I could leave, grabbing my arm and pulling my back to the table.

'I know this is a lot to take in,' he said gently. 'But its better if you know, right? You've been looking for these answers for your whole life.' I nodded, and although I really wanted to bolt, I stayed. It wasn't like I had anywhere else to go.

'Okay, fine,' I sighed. ' _Maybe_ it does make sense. _Maybe_ the Dread Doctors did give Dylan's Uncle the serum to create my abilities and _maybe_ that explains how I can die and come back to life whenever I want.' I wasn't entirely convinced of the explanation so far but I was willing to humour them for a while. 'But I've never bled mercury. Am I supposed to be a success or a failure? I've never even seen the doctors until now.'

'She has a point,' Stiles said. 'They've never wanted anything from her. Why would they help create someone like Alex and then forget about her?'

'You said the Argent's covered it up,' Scott said. 'Everyone who knew about you thought you were dead. Maybe the Doctors thought you were dead too.' Things were starting to slot into place. As crazy as it sounded, I couldn't deny that it _did_ make sense.

'I have a question,' I told the room, disrupting the quiet murmur that had become whilst I'd been lost in my thoughts. 'Theo said Chimeras were like cheap knock offs. What the hell am I a knock off of?' Why question was directed at Deaton who looked thoughtful for a long moment.

'I think we can conclude with some certainty that Theo was wrong when he said you were a chimera. At least, not in the sense that we know it.' I nodded, running a hand through my hair. I wished Derek was here too. I _needed_ him. Now more than ever. With so many things changing for me it felt strange not having him by my side. 'But you were created by the Dread Doctors, and they bend the laws that we like to set down, they blur the lines we like to draw, and they see grey where we only see black and white,' the Veterinarian said. 'And you might be an exception even to their rules.'

* * *

 **AN: Hope you liked that chapter! Would love to hear what you think of the story so far and where you think it's going :)**

 **Thanks so much to everyone who reads/follows/favourites/reviews! You're the best!**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	21. Chapter 20 - Game On

'Alex, would you stop pouting about your damn car,' Stiles said, shooting me a look in the review mirror. My foul mood was in fact less about my totalled car and more about the fact I was stuck in the backseat with the young beta whilst Scott road shotgun. Of course, if I hadn't been driven off the road and rammed into a tree, I would've been able to drive myself on our late-night excursion. Either way, I was pissed, and I sent Stiles a glare to prove it. _I loved that car._

'How'd you feel if you smashed your jeep into a tree?' I snapped back harshly. The teen narrowed his eyes at me in the reflection.

' _I_ wouldn't feel anything. _I'd_ be dead.' _Right._ I forgot. The fact that I'd survived the car accident was supposed to be a silver lining. I'd never really been one of those people who, when faced by darkness, look for the light.

'Shut up.'

'He's headed to the school,' Scott cut in as he received a text message on his phone. Stiles took the next right so that we were driving in the direction of the place in question.

'Why's Parrish headed to the school?' Liam asked.

'It's not Parrish,' Scott replied. 'At least not right now.' The young deputy had requested that at night, when the hellhound took over him, we should follow him to see where he was going.

'Okay, why's a Hellhound going to the school?' Liam rephrased. I rolled my eyes.

''Cause he's got a yearning for higher education,' Stiles replied sarcastically. 'Liam, Hellhound's at the school, so, we're going to the school.'

Not before long, we'd reached Beacon Hills High School and I inwardly groaned, recalling the last time (and all the times before that) that I'd been there. None of them had been a good experience. I pulled my Glock from the back of my jeans and braced it in front of me with both hands. I could tell that Scott in particular was weary of me carrying the weapon, but there was a killer beast on the loose that could rip any one of us to shreds at any moment. I was certain bullets wouldn't be able to stop it anyway.

We walked across the parking lot, catching sight of Argent who was approaching in the other direction. He had his gun out too.

'Where's Parrish?' I questioned.

'I lost him,' Argent replied. 'He's moving too fast.'

'Scott,' Liam said. We all looked to the beta to see that he was staring ahead of us at something on the ground. 'That guy's not moving at all.' As we approached the figure I could almost feel the fear radiating off of every single person. Being werewolves, I was sure Scott and Liam _could_ feel it. The body had been ripped open, deep gashes along the man's chest as he lay dead on the ground.

As we carried on we noticed more and more bodies littering the ground. The most gruesome site of all was the yellow school bus that was stacked full of bodies. At first, I thought they were all dead, but then a boy slowly turned over and stretched a bloody hand out towards us.

'Help me,' he breathed as the life drained out of him. Scott took a step forward but I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him gently back as the Hellhound emerged from the shadows.

'It's a trap,' he said, his voice deeper than when he was in his human form. Flames crackled on his skin, causing the night around him to glow.

'Please...' the boy begged. I took a slight step forward so I was flanking Scott, Liam and Stiles behind us.

'You can't help him,' the Hellhound replied. Suddenly, the boy fell from the truck, exposing when his torso had been separated from the rest of the body. I'd seen a lot of nasty things in my life, but the site of half the boy's body on the ground as his guts spilled out was a hard one to look at.

I saw the glowing eyes before I saw the rest of it. The beast growled from inside the school bus and, identifying him as the most vulnerable in our group, pushed Stiles further behind me.

'That's big,' he pointed out as we stared at the huge monster. 'No one said it was that big.' The thing growled again and the Hellhound's body suddenly lit up in flames as he chased after it.

'What the hell's happening?' I asked as we watched them run away.

'It's getting smarter.'

* * *

I carefully lined the door to the McCall house with mountain ash, sealing myself and the were-coyote inside.

'Do we really need to do this?' Malia asked, folding her arms across her chest. For the rest of the night, Melissa and I decided it was best for the teen to be under a kind of house arrest, meaning her psychotic mother couldn't harm her whilst no one else was around. 'Deaton said the Desert Wolf can't get her power back unless she comes for me on a full moon.'

'I know,' I replied, standing from where I'd been kneeling and grabbing the shotgun from the table. 'Just because there are rules to taking power doesn't mean she plans to follow them.'

'I don't need a body guard,' she told me defiantly. I scoffed.

'Good, because I'm not a babysitter,' I shot back. 'Look, this is only until morning.' She held my gaze for a long time before she finally nodded in agreement.

At first, I wondered if she would try and get some rest. It went without saying that I wouldn't be sleeping at all, but that didn't mean she couldn't. Maybe she felt awkward leaving me alone downstairs. I doubted it. We'd both had periods in our lives where we'd been alone and I didn't think either of us minded it all that much.

'Where's Derek?' They coyote's question came without any inhibition and its suddenness flawed me for a second. For a brief moment, I wondered why she would care, and then I remembered that she was a Hale. It'd surprised me that the rest of them had refrained from asking me about my green-eyes wolf.

'He was going to come back to Beacon Hills, but just before we let Oregon, he got a message that Cora was being tracked by hunters,' I told her truthfully. 'He went to South America to help her.'

'Did he find her?'

'She's been on the run. Last I heard, he'd tracked her to the Mexican border.' She nodded in acknowledgement of all I'd told her.

'When did you hear from him last?' she questioned.

'A few days ago,' I replied.

'Do you miss him?' The matter-of-fact way she asked her questions sometimes made me a little uncomfortable, but that was what made her, her. My jaw tightened a little as I fidgeted with my fingers in my lap.

'Yeah.' I did. I did so much. Without him, I felt like a was reverting back to my older self, but in the same way, I was becoming something new. What would he think when I told him about what I was? Would he still care about me? I knew it had been less than I year since I'd met him, but I felt that because of him, no matter what occurred in the coming weeks, I'd never be the same again.

* * *

The next evening, we'd gathered back at the school before the lacrosse game. The transmission of frequencies was apparently what caused the beast the shift from its human form, and each time this happened, it was getting stronger. The charity game that night was being broadcasted, meaning that there was a very high chance that the beast would show up. If this happened, we were going to try and figure out who it could be. Our only evidence was a pair of size 10 shoes covered in blood.

'Mason, you know what to do?' Scott asked.

'Corey and I break into the Devenford Bus and search their shoes,' the teen replied.

'I take out the TV vans,' Malia said.

'Right before the whistle, Coach forfeits the game,' Stiles said. Scott nodded.

'Alex, you be on guard in case the dread doctors show up,' the alpha instructed. I nodded. 'The rest of us are looking for a size 10 with a bloody sole.'

'Just out of curiosity, what if it doesn't work?' Malia asked. Always the optimist, but I guess I couldn't really talk. 'What if we have to go up against this thing? I mean, I hate to bring up bad memories but Scott's still healing from what Theo did to him.'

'No, he's not,' Kira said.

'She's right,' Scott said, lifting up his lacrosse jersey to reveal that the wound had completely healed. 'It happened the night we got Lydia out of Eichen House. I healed. When were all together again, when we were a pack.'

'The Beast doesn't have a pack,' Liam pointed out.

'Not like us,' Scott said. 'We can do this, guys. No one dies tonight.'

We dispersed to get to our positions. I decided I'd have the best view from the bleachers and headed over straight away. The crowds were already swarming around the field with players in place. I spotted one in a green uniform that I recognised. Brett Talbot. It was the kid I'd helped save from Violet all those months ago after the first lacrosse game I'd been to. Although it seemed good to have another able-bodied werewolf on the premises, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. I hoped the evening would go better than the last.

I placed myself midway up the bleachers, my eyes scouting the outskirts of the field for anything suspicious. I caught site of Stiles as he approached the coach, about to get him to forfeit the game. For a moment, I thought the plan might actually work, but then the piercing sound of a whistle sounded to signal that the game was going ahead. I tightened my jaw. This couldn't be good.

The opposition players swarmed the field as I exited the stands and caught up with Scott.

'I thought he was supposed to be forfeiting the game,' I said in a hushed voice.

'It's fine,' he replied. 'Malia's still going to take out the wiring on the TV vans. And we have an hour and a half to try to find someone with blood on their shoes.'

'One person out of 400,' I reminded him.

'We can do this,' he encouraged, though I wasn't sure I believed him. I nodded anyway as he turned to take his spot on the field.

'Hey Scott?' I called after him. He turned around to look at me through his helmet. 'Be careful, okay?' I could see a smile tug at his lips at my slight show of concern for him. It was true. I had come far from the girl I was when I'd first come to Beacon Hills, and I knew Scott knew it too.

'You too,' he called back before we parted to take out positions. I resumed my spot on the bleachers just as the whistle to start the game sounded.

I watched as the players threw the ball to each other and tried to dodge the opposite team. When I saw Kira intercept the ball I found myself having the supress a cheer that was about to erupt from my mouth. I may have changed a lot, but I was certainly not back to being a cheerleader. I frowned, however, when she knocked three players from the opposite team to the ground before scoring a goal. I knew lacrosse was an aggressive game but I didn't expect something like that from the kitsune.

I brushed it off as a onetime thing, only to watch her do a similar thing a second time. When play started again, I wasn't surprised when Brett took her out. It looked like it had been planned. I was surprised though when she got back up and struck him across the head with her lacrosse stick. She was sent off the field straight away and I followed her with my eyes until she disappeared from sight.

As the game continued, Beacon Hills started to gain a few more goals, though I think that was the least of everyone else's problems. After a few more minutes of watching the game, I realised that I couldn't see Scott anywhere. I didn't want to abandon my post, but when I was Stiles exit the pitch, I had to follow him.

I found him underneath the bleachers as he pulled at some girl's shoe.

'What the hell are you doing?' I asked, causing him to jump. At the same time, the girl kicked her foot back, causing the teen to smack his head against the metal frame. He groaned, his face contorting comically into an expression of pain. I rolled my eyes at him as he rubbed his forehead with his palm.

'Owe,' he grumbled with a frown. I grabbed a water bottle from a cool box on the ground and shoved it against his head. He winced at the sudden coldness but replaced my hand with his nonetheless.

'Where's Scott?' I hissed at him.

'He went after Kira,' he replied, pressing the cold-water bottle to the sore spot on his head.

'Did Malia manage to take out all the TV vans?' I asked.

'I dunno,' he replied as I spotted Liam jogging over to us. 'Alex, I have a really bad fe-.' He was cut off by an excruciating noise that had us all with our hands covering our ears. It was high pitched and made my head spin. When it was over, we all knew exactly what had just happened. We'd failed. The beast had shifted.

'Liam!' Stiles and I called when we saw him walking away from the bleachers, his eyes starting to glow amber. He was going after the beast. We jogged after him as he picked up his pace. 'Liam, wait!' We got there just in time to see him launch himself at a large looming figure.

The beast struck him down instantly, its huge claw ripping through the young beta's lacrosse uniform and tearing his flesh underneath. I ran to him, Stiles following me close behind. He gasped in pain as he shook on the ground, his hands pressed to the gaping wound in his stomach.

'Oh my god,' Stiles muttered, grimacing at the sight of all the blood. Screams echoed from all around us as people worried and panicked. In the distance, I could hear the low growl of the beast.

'Liam!' I heard from behind. I recognised the voice as Hayden's and soon she was by the boy's side. I turned to Stiles.

'You and Hayden need to get Liam inside,' I instructed him in a loud voice so he could hear me over the chaos.

'Alex…'

'Now, Stiles!' I yelled, giving him no opportunity to protest. He nodded quickly and helped Hayden carry Liam towards the school.

I ran back to the lacrosse field to see if anyone was still there. It was deserted apart from a few people who were fleeing the bleachers to get somewhere safer. I pulled out my phone and dialled Scott's number, cursing when he didn't pick up.

'Dammit!' I shouted, running a stressed hand through my hair. We needed Parrish. We needed Argent. Actually, we needed a miracle, but I doubted we would get that lucky.

As I headed back towards the school, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I picked it up straight away, relieved to hear Malia's voice on the other end.

'Where are you?' I asked worriedly.

'I'm in the school. Is Stiles with you?' she asked.

'No, he went inside with Liam and Hayden,' I told her. 'What's it like in there.'

'It's chaos. Everyone is panicking,' she replied. 'We need you in here. Did you bring a shot gun?'

'I have my Glock,' I told her. 'But the rest of the weapons are in Stiles' jeep.'

'Get them,' she instructed. 'I'll meet you inside.' We hung up and I sprinted towards the parking lot. I was glad to find that Stiles' jeep was unlocked. Although I easily could've smashed a window if need be, I was grateful I didn't have to. Maybe Stiles' silver lining crap was rubbing off on me.

A grabbed the kitbag of guns from the back seat and headed towards the school. As I crossed the parking lot, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prick up. Something was here. I crouched behind a car and slowly unzipped the bag, pulling out a sawed-off shotgun. I held it close to my chest as I tried to quieten my breaths. My jaw clenched at the sound of another's breath. It was ragged and came out in grunts and growls. I knew it was here.

I back away slowly from the car, keeping the shotgun ready to fire at all times. If I was quiet enough, maybe I could get back to the school without getting my intestines ripped out. I moved quickly but silently as the thing tried to sniff me out. This thing was a werewolf after all, and werewolves had bad instincts when it came to me. I wondered if it could smell me at all. I was nearly at the other end of the lot when a piece of broken class crunched under the heal of my boot. I had about half a second to prepare myself before there was an almighty roar and the beast was in front of me. I shot at it as many times as I could before I ran out of ammunition. The bullets barely slowed it down. Argent was right. This thing really was the perfect killing machine. But I was the master of survival.

I sprinted for the school, dodging the creature's claws as they swiped at me. I fired at it a few more times with my Glock before it managed to scratch my shoulder, causing a deep gash to appear. It was painful for a second before I felt the wound mend itself.

I knew it was gaining on me. I turned to my left, a sudden idea popping into my head. I shot at it a few more times before throwing myself under the school bus, the beast jumping over it and getting off my tail. My hands burned as they scraped against the tarmac and once I was sure it wasn't following me anymore, I ran out from my hiding spot and into the school.

Once inside, I had a proper chance to have a proper look through the bag of firearms. I chose a much heavier duty weapon, satisfied it would be more powerful and hopefully do more damage than the shotgun. I met up with Malia who was with a recovered Liam and we headed in the direction of the library.

Liam flung open the doors and ran at the beast who was towering over the alpha. He landed a solid punch to its face and I stepped forward, unloading a round of bullets into it as Malia bared her fangs. It growled ferociously with every gunshot and finally smashed through the large library window as it headed out into the night.

Malia and I stepped forward to help a bloody and beaten looking Scott to his feet. The site of him brought back memories from the last time I was in the library and he had almost been killed by Theo.

'What were you thinking?' I chastised him. 'You didn't seriously think you could take that thing out by yourself, did you?' Scott shook his head, a laugh almost escaping his lips.

'No,' he said. 'But I got its scent.' The alpha sprinted out of the library and I followed after him along with Liam.

'Scott!' I called after him. 'Scott, you're bleeding.' He wouldn't listen as he followed the scent of the beast.

'You gotta slow down,' Liam protested alongside me. Finally, he stopped outside a car and pulled open the trunk, revealing a pair of shoes. I grabbed one in my hand and turned it over, revealing a sole covered in blood.

'Size 10,' I muttered, reading the small number on the bottom of the shoe. I looked to Scott who stared back at me, an unreadable expression on his face. He slammed the boot shut and we all jumped when we spotted Mason standing a few feet away from us.

'Scott?' he said with a frown. 'What are you doing to my car?' My stomach dropped to the floor. _Mason_ was the beast? _Mason?_

'It's you,' Scott muttered in bewilderment. My hand hovered over my Glock in the back of my jeans but I couldn't find it in me to pull the gun on him. He was a kid. I wasn't entirely convinced _he_ knew what he was.

'What?' Mason asked as he took a step forward. My fingers closed around the handle of the gun. 'Liam, what's he talking about?' Liam didn't reply. None of us did. What could we say? 'Liam?'

Suddenly, a figure materialised out of nowhere right next to Mason and put his hands on his shoulders.

'Corey, wait!' Scott yelled and I then recognised the teen as one of the chimeras. 'Wait!' Scott yelled again. Corey turned invisible again, taking Mason with him. Scott lurched forward as he tried to grab on to them, but his hands only cut through the air. They were gone.

* * *

 **AN: That was chapter 20! Only 2 more episodes of season 5 to go now! What do you think might happen?**

 **Don't forget to check out the poll on my profile :)**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	22. Chapter 21 - The Doctor Will See You Now

**AN: Hello lovelies :) There's in important note at the end of this chapter so would be great if you could give it a read. Thanks!**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

I always get a feeling when I know the day isn't going to end well. Be it a premonition or just plain old instinct. I _know_ when something bad is going to happen. For the last few weeks, however, I'd had the feeling pretty much constantly and I figured it was probably just a by-product from hanging around Beacon Hills for too long.

Stiles walked out of the bedroom after checking on his best friend. The alpha had suffered some pretty serious injuries the night before from fighting with the beast (or should I say _Mason_ ). He padded over to Malia and I as she informed me on her encounter with the Desert Wolf at the school.

'You know how my mother wants to kill me?' she said, her eyes focused on the sarcastic teen beside me. 'I think she might want to kill you too.'

'Okay, uh, that's disconcerting,' he replied as he ran a nervous hand through his chocolate hair. 'I should probably have a gun.' His eyes made contact with mine and I sent him a blank look.

'I'm not giving you a gun,' I deadpanned. A childish pout formed on his lips.

'You have a gun,' he protested. I shot him a pointed look. 'The Desert Wolf who is trying to kill me, has a gun. I think I should probably have a gun.'

'No,' I replied, his argument not convincing me in the slightest.

'Come on, Alex.'

'No.'

'Come on!'

'Have you ever fired one before?' I questioned as I arched a brow at him.

'That's irrelevant,' he objected. 'I need to be able to protect myself.' He looked frightened and something in me didn't like the idea of him feeling that way for even a second. Although I didn't know what fearing for my life felt like, I could sympathise with the boy. I sighed deeply, bending down to the kitbag at my feet and pulling out the Colt Lightweight Commander I'd spied a few days ago that I supposed could be suitable for him.

'Be careful with it,' I instructed him seriously as I handed it to him. I hoped the sheriff wouldn't kill me for it.

'Of course, I'm not just gonna-.' He was cut off the sound of the weapon crashing to the floor. I sent him a glare as I silently congratulated myself for being smart enough to not give him one that was loaded. He looked from me to the gun and back to me. 'I probably shouldn't have a gun.' I sent him an unimpressed look.

'You're an idiot,' I told him before shoving the gun back into the kitbag and zipping it back up. I followed the pair out into the kitchen where Kira and Liam were waiting to discuss the plan of action.

'My dad's got an APB out,' Stiles informed the group.

'For a 5'8" 16-year-old?' Kira asked incredulously.

'More like a nine-foot tall rampaging werewolf,' I muttered under my breath.

'It still might not be him,' Liam reminded us, though I was pretty certain of the fact that Mason was the beast. All the signs pointed to it. 'But, Hayden's at the school looking.'

'I can keep checking the woods,' Malia offered.

'My mom can check all the hospitals in the county.' The alpha's voice came from the doorway and we all turned to see that he was looking much better. 'We can find him.'

'What happens then?' I asked.

'We figure out a way to save him,' Scott said, his voice determined.

'Where else could we look?' The alpha looked thoughtful for a moment before he seemed to become aware of a presence that none of the rest of us could see.

'Let's ask Corey,' he replied, reaching a hand out into the air and grabbing at it. In his hand emerged a shirt and then suddenly Corey stood before us in the flesh like he had just materialised out of nowhere. I caught to boy's gaze and sent him a threatening glare.

'It's not my fault,' Corey stammered fearfully. In my book, it sure was. 'They took him and I couldn't do anything. They took him.'

'Who?' Scott asked.

'The Dread Doctors.' Discussions seemed to break out everywhere in the room as the group started to try and work out where they might have taken Mason.

'I think we need to talk to someone we probably should've talked to first,' Scott said finally, his eye catching mine. I gritted my teeth together when realisation set in. _Not him._

'We can't trust him,' I reminded the teen wolf, a little horrified that he was even considering going to him for help.

'I know,' he replied. 'But he knows more about the Dread Doctors than anyone.' I huffed, but I knew he had a point.

'Fine,' I said. 'Let's go find Theo Raeken.'

* * *

'How stupid are we to be doing this?' Liam asked as he and I followed Scott down the high school corridor to the locker room.

'We're not stupid,' Scott said as we rounded the corner. 'We're desperate.'

'Are you gonna ask me to play nice?' I questioned the alpha, referring to the encounter we were about to have with one of the people I despised most in the world.

'Would you listen if I did?' he asked back as we pushed through the door.

'Probably not.'

'I told you we'd end up on the same side,' Theo said with a smirk as we entered the locker room. A girl behind him leant casually against the lockers, a similar smirk on her face.

'How about I punch you in the balls to remind you we're not?' Liam quipped and it was a struggle to keep my face from amused at the young beta's remark. The teen and I didn't have much in common, but our mutual mistrust and hatred of Theo Raeken was something we did agree on.

'I love this kid,' Theo chuckled.

'I don't,' the girl, Tracey, said as she narrowed her eyes at us. I glared back at her.

'We know you're not on our side, Theo,' Scott said. 'You said you wanted to help Lydia, but you left Eichen with something else, didn't you?'

'You mean the mask?' Theo asked, referring to the mask that supposedly would show the wearer the true identity of the beast. 'Are you worried about that?'

'Did you put it on?' Liam questioned the chimera. 'Who did you see?'

'Not Mason,' he replied.

'What's that mean? It's not him?'

'It probably means he's a lost cause,' Tracey drawled. I wondered where the other groupie was. The one who'd driven me off the road. The dark feeling that radiated off of the pair of chimeras told me we probably weren't going to hear from him again.

'We all want the same thing,' Theo said. 'We want Mason back.' I scoffed.

'The difference is that we want him back alive,' I replied accusingly. The likelihood of Theo screwing us over was very high if we let out guard down.

'Well, I'm open to compromise,' he replied. 'You still got the map with telluric currents on it?' Scott nodded. 'Bring it to the operating theatre in two hours.'

* * *

Trudging through the woods in my heeled ankle boots was not exactly how I wanted to spend my evening. I really needed to invest in some trainers or something, but truth be told, my boots were something I didn't want to give up. Besides, it wasn't like I got aching calves or feet from them. After meeting up with Theo at the Dread Doctor's old lair, he'd informed us that their new lair must be on a convergence of telluric currents. The place we'd all thought of first was the preserve.

Scott and Theo lead the way as Liam and I followed. The young beta had managed to catch Mason's scent.

'So not only is this kid strong and fast but he can also turn invisible?' I thought out loud to no one in particular. Corey's abilities still kind of baffled me.

'Does it make you feel less special?' Liam asked with a small smirk. The comment startled me a little coming from the young beta. It caught me off guard. I didn't like it.

'Does it make _you_ feel less special?' I snarled back at him with a glare. His smirk vanished under my threatening stare and I let a satisfied grin form on lips. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

'We're close,' he said, causing Scott and Theo to turn around.

'Which way?' Theo asked. Liam glanced from me to Scott without saying a word. 'You think you're going to leave me behind?'

'If it was up to me, you'd be dead already,' I seethed back at him. Scott shot me a warning look but I didn't remove the glare from my face. I knew I couldn't kill the chimera with a look, but I could try.

'Liam...' Scott pleaded with him.

'He wants to kill him,' Liam protested.

'I just want his power,' Theo corrected the teen. 'You want to fight someone that actually wants to kill Mason? Go fight Parrish.'

'Who did you see when you put on the mask?' Liam asked harshly.

'I already told you,' Theo replied. 'It wasn't Mason.'

'Who was it?' Scott asked.

'I saw a man dying in the snow,' Theo replied. 'He was impaled on a spear.'

'It's called a pike,' Scott informed the group. 'Lydia told us the story.'

'Then you know what it means,' Theo replied ominously. 'Time's running out. Where is he, Liam? What direction?' Liam thought for a moment before he turned to his left.

'This way.' We followed Liam through the dark woods, the moonlight and the trees casting monstrous shadows on the forest floor. He stopped when we arrived at an old looking shack that seemed to disappear underground on the inside. Liam pushed the door open, whispering for his friend as we filed in behind him. Just then, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I cursed the caller for their poor timing before answering the call, signalling to Scott and the others that I would catch up.

'Stiles?' I hissed. 'This isn't really a good time.'

 _'_ _We need to get to Scott's house,'_ he replied. _'_ _The Desert Wolf could show up at any moment.'_

'Stiles, I'm kinda in the middle of something,' I whispered harshly down the phone.

 _'_ _Well, what do you expect me to do?'_ he questioned. _'_ _I can't protect Malia by myself!'_ I huffed as I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to think.

'Look, just get to Scott's house. Seal both of you in with the mountain ash,' I instructed. 'I'll get there as quickly as I can.' There was a paused before he sighed, a signal of agreement.

 _'_ _Fine. Hurry.'_

'I will.' I hung up the phone and shoved it back in my pocket, jogging down the steps into the derelict basement. I could hear footsteps and voice up ahead and took that as an indication of where Scott and the others had gone.

I rushed down the corridor to find Scott and Liam kneeling beside an unconscious Mason, a thick wire protruding out of his neck and connecting him to a tank filled with something I didn't want to acknowledge was really there.

'What is that thing?' I asked as I stared at it.

'I don't know,' Theo replied. Mason's eyes blinked open as he groaned, his body completely exhausted by whatever the Dread Doctors had done to him.

'Liam, I can feel it,' he gasped. 'It's in my skull.'

'What are they doing to him?' Liam asked Theo.

'I don't know,' the chimera repeated.

'Guys, let's focus,' Scott said, trying to calm everyone down, but most of all, Mason, who looked like he might pass out at any moment. 'Mason, we're gonna get you out of here. Hold him still.' The instruction was to Liam and once he placed his hands on Mason's shoulders, the alpha sent me pleading look. I nodded, kneeling down beside the boy and holding his shoulders still too. 'Okay,' Scott said, psyching himself up. 'All right. I'm going to try to pull it out. Let me know if it hurts.' He wrapped his hand around the large metal tube and before he'd so much as moved his fingers, Mason let out an agonised scream.

'It hurts!' he yelled. 'It definitely hurts.' This wasn't good. Scott had barely moved it. Suddenly, there was a rattling noise and the supernaturals in the room shared a look of dread. I looked up, the figure of one of the doctors looming behind Theo. They were here.

'They wanted us here,' Theo said as we all turned are stared the dread doctors down. 'All of us.'

'Liam, try to get that thing out of Mason's neck,' Scott said as we heard the third doctor enter the lair.

' _Theo_ ,' it said as it approached the chimera. ' _Theo Raeken…failure_.' The pseudoscientist continued to taunt him as I backed away slowly, grabbing a metal pipe from the floor to arm myself. If Deaton had been right about the dread doctors being responsible for creating me, I didn't want to be defenceless if they recognised me.

 _'_ _Your failure taught us one thing,'_ the doctor continued. _'_ _The banality of evil. That you were and would always be an ordinary evil.'_

'You think I'm ordinary?' Theo asked, his fangs descending as his eyes glowed amber.

'Uh, not sure this is the time for an argument,' I said, taking another step away. At the sound of my voice, I noticed the doctor's head turn towards me. Although I couldn't see its eyes I knew it was looking straight at me. Straight _inside_ me. It made me uneasy. I wanted to leave more than anything.

 _'_ _We believed that to resurrect the perfect killer we had to start with the perfect evil,'_ it said, turning back to Theo. _'_ _From you we learned true evil only comes by corrupting something truly good.'_

The doctor reached out a hand, but before it could grasp Theo by the neck, he had already swung a punch at it. The other two doctors descended and Liam and Scott jumped up to join in the fight.

I hit one of them with the pipe but it recovered quickly. They wore metal and thick leather. I wasn't sure there was any way I could beat them. I considered grabbing my gun from my jeans but I doubted that would have any effect either. I smashed the doctor nearest me again over the head but when I brought it back for a second hit, it caught the pipe and twisted it out of my hand.

It had my up against the wall in a second, its hand squeezing at my neck as I tried to fight it off. I picked at it but nothing seemed to work. When I hadn't been able to get any air in my lungs for nearly two minutes, something suddenly collided with the doctor's head and it released its grip on me. I slid down the wall to the floor as my vision blurred back to normal, revealing a terrified looking Stiles wielding a baseball bat.

'What the hell are you doing here?' I asked incredulously as he helped me to my feet. 'You're _supposed_ to be with Malia.'

'So are you!' he yelled back over the chaos.

'I've been busy,' I said, pulling the baseball bat from his hands and swinging it at the doctor to my left.

Suddenly, there was a loud groan and we looked back to see that Mason was on his feet, the tube pulled from his neck.

 _'_ _Transformation_ ,' the doctor said, its voice low and mechanical. _'_ _Transformation without frequency.'_

'Mason!' Liam yelled has the boy's eyes started to glow, thick black smoke swarming around him.

'That is not my name,' he said, his voice nothing like the teenager's underneath.

'Holy shit,' I cursed as he started to transform.

'Alex!' Scott yelled from the other side of the room. 'Get Stiles out of here!' I didn't question it. We needed to get to Malia anyway. I pushed my sarcastic friend backwards towards the door as I dodged one of the doctors as they lurched towards us.

 _'_ _Alexia Marshall_.' The sound of my real name made me shudder and I turned around, unable to avoid the dread doctor beside me as it inserted a thick needle into my neck. It happened so fast that I couldn't see any way it could've been avoided. I just wasn't fast enough. I screamed as it pierced my skin, the thing going about two inches into my neck. It hurt like a bitch. I tried to pull it out, but I wasn't strong enough as it started to push on the plunger, injecting me with god knows what. It stopped, however, when the beast tackled it to the ground, its razor-sharp teeth ripping clean through the leather.

I groaned as I pulled the needle from my neck, noticing that less than half of whatever liquid was in it had entered my system.

'Alex!' Stiles yelled as he pulled on my arm. I turned to look at him and he jolted back for a second in shock.

'What?' I asked, panic in my voice.

'Your eyes,' he gasped, shaking his head. 'I thought…it's nothing.' Whatever the problem had been, it seemed to have disappeared now. 'Let's get out of here.' I nodded, bending down to pick up the half empty needle and syringe from the ground. Whatever was in there didn't look good, but I didn't feel too different. I held onto it anyway, figuring that if anything did happen, it would be a good idea to have a sample of it just in case. I pushed Stiles towards the door and we were sprinting out into the trees just as the beast roared behind us.

We raced through the woods to where Stiles had parked his jeep, both of us breathing heavily after what had just happened. There was no doubt in my mind that some mega carnage was occurring back at the Dread Doctor's lair. I wanted to go back, but sensing my inner turmoil before I'd even said anything, Stiles shook his head. He was right. Scott and Liam could handle themselves. We needed to get to Malia.

'How'd you find where we were anyways?' I asked as I pulled open the passenger door and climbed in.

'GPS on your phone,' he said, shoving the keys into the ignition and gunning the engine. I was about to ask him how he managed to do that, but truth be told, I didn't want to know.

'You're kind of a stalker, you know that right?'

'It's a gift and a curse,' he replied and I rolled my eyes at him. He pulled out onto the main preserve road as I examined the syringe dubiously. 'What do you think it is?' Stiles asked, glancing over at me worriedly.

'I dunno,' I replied, tossing it into the glove compartment. 'I don't think it did anything.' Stiles nodded but I don't think he believed my words to be true. I wasn't sure I believed them myself.

'What's wrong with your neck?' he asked, continuing to stress about every aspect of the day. I rubbed at a sore spot at the base of my skull.

'Must've got an out of place vertebrate when I got pushed against the wall,' I said, causing Stiles to grimace in disgust. There was no doubt that Stiles Stilinski was squeamish. 'I'll pop it back when we get to Scott's house.' He drove in silence through the preserve, both of us with a lot to think about.

I narrowed my eyes when I caught him shooting me glances every now and again out of the corner of my eye. As the journey went on, the glances increased in length and regularity to the point where he was really starting to get on my nerves.

'What?' I asked the boy next to me. He wouldn't stop staring at me which I found unnerving. He should've had his eyes on the road. Something about his expression told me he was frightened. 'Stiles, what is it?'

'Your nose,' he said slowly as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. 'It's bleeding.' I frowned at him, wiping the back of my hand above my lip. I looked down. Across my hand was a streak of red staining the skin. It was blood. My blood. _Impossible._

I looked back up at the teen beside me, catching his worried expression for only a second before I was thrown to the edge of my seat as he abruptly pulled over. 'Stiles!' I yelled at him but he didn't seem to hear as he lurched across to me, grasping my wrist in his hand.

'Give me your hand,' he demanded harshly as I tried to rip mine out of his grip.

'Stiles! What the hell?!' I protested trying to wriggle free but he wouldn't let me budge. I watched as he pulled his keys from the ignition and drew out a pen knife. My brow furrowed as he flicked out a blade and brought it to my skin. I'd had enough of him manhandling me. 'What the fuck are you-?'

'Just shut up for a second, okay?' he said, cutting me off. I did what he said and remained silent as he carefully made a small incision on the tip of my finger. It was no larger than a paper cut.

'Ouch,' I complained, only for him to hush me again. He was staring intently at my finger, not even blinking. I looked too, watching as a small drop of blood pooled on the torn skin. I frowned at it, waiting for the tiny wound to knit itself back together again. It never did.

I looked up to Stiles, my confused eyes meeting his terrified ones. I was glad that he spoke first. I wouldn't've been able to even if I'd had the words. He spoke with trepidation, his voice uneasy:

'You're not healing.'

* * *

 **AN: Dun dun daaaaaa**

 **Hope you liked that chapter and the little twist at the end. What do you think this means for Alex and the others?**

 **Just to let you know, for the last 2 episodes of season 5 I've messed around with the timeline a bit so it works with how I want the story to go. Hope you don't mind!**

 **On another note, at the moment, I'm not planning on writing a third instalment to this. I'm pretty sure I know how its going to end and I hope you like it. Also, since Teen Wolf the show is coming to an end this season, I don't want to write another sequel until we know how the shows gonna end overall (if that makes sense). If people really want to see how the story plays out in season 6, I might do it but probably not until 6b is over.**

 **Anyway, hope that doesn't disappoint anyone. There's still plenty more Alex to come in this story. It's definitely not over yet!**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	23. Chapter 22 - Human For A Day

Stiles' nervous finger drumming filled my ears as I sat on the metal table, legs crossed and dangling over the edge. I rolled my eyes in annoyance before sending him a harsh glare. He stopped instantly. He still wouldn't look me in the eye, his anxious stare fixed on Deaton who was examining the puncture wound in my neck. Stiles was worried. So much so that it had me worried. I watched him with concern as he chewed on his bottom lip as we both waited for the veterinarian's verdict.

'Well, you were right,' the veterinarian said in a final voice. 'Your ability seems to have…gone.'

'Gone?' Stiles asked incredulously. 'How can it just be gone?' The two conversed as I squeezed my eyes shut. From what the Doc had just said, I felt like I should be more worried than I was. But I wasn't. There were other things that worried me. New sensations I'd never experienced before. The aching deep in my joints. The sore finger. The pounding in my head that never usually lasted this long.

'Ugh, my head is killing me,' I groaned as I rubbed my temples. 'I feel like someone just put a bullet through my brain.' Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I was in a fragile mood. Apparently, my body felt the same way. 'Ugh, what the hell is that?'

'MTBI,' Deaton replied matter of factly.

'What?'

'You have a concussion.' I groaned again, feeling pathetic for complaining about something I'd not thought of as that bad in the past. 'I need to take a blood sample,' he asked and I nodded in response, although I wasn't too keen on the idea of a needle being inserted into my newly sensitive skin.

It was over in a few seconds and I rubbed the spot ferociously with my finger. It really stung.

'Does anything else feel wrong?' he asked. _Everything_.

'I'm really hungry,' I replied, and now that it'd come to my attention, it was all I could think about.

'When was the last time you ate?' Deaton asked. I frowned, trying to kick my brain into gear and think.

'Umm last week I think,' I replied.

'What?!' Stiles asked, completely gobsmacked. 'You haven't eaten in a week?'

'It's not like I was gonna die of starvation,' I replied with a glare. 'I eat sometimes, but I never really get hungry.' Stiles shook his head like I'd just said the worst possible thing. He gave me a look that was a mixture of _how did I now know this_ and _we are no longer friends._

Deaton turned to check the blood sample and I carried on rubbing my sore arm where the needle had poked into my skin. _Come on, Alex. Get it together. It was just a needle._

'Woah, what the hell are you doing?' I asked Stiles as he started to attack me with something small and sticky.

'Baking a cake,' he deadpanned. 'What does it look like?' I squirmed away from him, clutching my arm to my body so that he wouldn't go near it.

'You are not putting that thing on me,' I protested seriously, my voice low and threatening.

'Alex, it's just a plaster.'

'I'm not a five-year-old,' I argued, squatting away his hand as he tried to press it to my arm again. 'I don't need a crappy Band-Aid.'

'Yes, you do,' he contended.

'No, I don't.'

'Yes, you do.'

'No. I. Don't.'

'Actually, I think that might be a good idea,' Deaton said, cutting off our argument. 'You've never gotten sick before, Alex,' he explained. 'You've never had to fight off an infection. Your immune system will be worse than a new born baby's. Any kind of infection could kill you.' I shook my head. I knew I was probably just in denial about the whole situation, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to be babied.

'I've been stabbed, shot, drowned, burned and electrocuted and I'm still here, right?' I said. 'I think I'll survive a small scrape.' Stiles huffed like an exasperated mother who couldn't get her child to comply with what she wanted. I smiled defiantly when he scrunched up the plaster and threw it in the trash.

'Did you find anything in her blood?' he asked, squeezing the bridge of his nose. I could tell he was tired, and watching him trying to suppress a yawn made me realised how exhausted I felt. I craved sleep and a chance to recuperate.

'I compared it with the last sample I took, and I found something very interesting,' Deaton replied. I watched him expectantly. 'I'm fairly certain that whatever the Dread Doctors injected you with counteracted the healing ability you possess.'

'But that's impossible,' Stiles protested. 'One injection can't rewrite her entire biology.'

'It appears it can,' he said. 'But the dosage was small.' The veterinarian held up the syringe that was not even half empty. 'You were lucky.'

'I don't feel lucky,' I grumbled back under my breath.

'The dosage the Dread Doctor's gave you wasn't enough to cause any permanent change,' he explained further.

'Wait, are you saying this will go away?' Stiles asked, his eyes widening.

'From what I can tell at the moment, when the chemical passes out of your system, you'll be back to normal.' I shot him a look. 'Well, _your_ normal.' I sighed. The situation didn't sound as dire as I'd originally suspected.

'How long should that take?' I asked, rubbing my neck that was still sore. I really needed some aspirin or something. Or maybe Morphine…

'Twenty-four hours,' Deaton replied. 'Give or take.' Twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours of being _normal. Ordinary._ I felt nauseous.

* * *

The jeep pulled up outside the McCall house. We'd stopped at a 24/7 drive through on the way to pick me up a burger and fries to fill my stomach. It had been my idea and Stiles had lectured me on the importance of a healthy diet and told me a few cholesterol horror stories. I'd ignored him, reminding him that this was just a twenty-four-hour gig. Once he'd turned off the engine, Stiles immediately jumped out and jogged round to the passenger door to help me out. I scowled at him as I pushed the door open myself, avoiding his advances as he tried to help me walk.

'Stiles. I'm not an invalid,' I deadpanned. 'I can get to the house by myself.'

'Right,' he agreed, taking a step away to give me some room to actually walk. At the door, Malia stood behind the mountain ash barrier with her arms crossed, Melissa McCall by her side. The older woman's expression, although concerned, remained warm whilst the coyote's appeared nonchalant.

'Deaton let us know what happened,' Malia informed us as we made our way into the living room. I nodded.

'I called Scott,' Melissa said next. 'He and Liam are taking one of the Dread Doctors to the animal clinic to see if they can find out anything about the beast.'

'Good,' I replied. 'We should go help.' I turned around to make my way back out of the door, only to have the three of them step in my way.

'Woah, whoa, Alex, you can't go out there,' Stiles said as if the mere suggestion of it was ridiculous.

'Why not?' I asked, raising a brow challengingly.

'Remember what Deaton said? It's not safe,' he replied. 'You gotta stay here.' I rolled my eyes at him and pushed past him to the door, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. 'I'm serious.'

'Stiles is right,' Melissa replied. 'I've gotta get to the hospital, can I trust that you'll not do anything reckless?' Her question was directed at me and when I met her eyes that were surprisingly full of concern, I couldn't do anything else but nod. She left promptly, muttering something to the coyote as she went.

I huffed in irritation, already finding the confines of the house too restricting.

'So… are you like _normal_ now,' Malia asked, eyeing me as if I were something she'd never seen before. I ignored her question, the throbbing of my head too overwhelming to think of a sassy comment to reply with. Stiles sighed, disappearing off into the kitchen before remerging moments later with a small white bottle. He popped the lid off before tipping out two tablets into his hand and offering them to me.

'Aspirin,' I deadpanned. 'I'm saved.'

'Would you just take them,' he ordered and I begrudgingly threw the pair of painkillers into my mouth and swallowed them dry. 'I'll leave them in the kitchen. You can take more in four hours.' I looked up at him from my seat on the couch.

'Four hours?' I questioned. 'Where are you going?'

'I need to help Scott,' he said. 'We need to figure out why Mason is a chimera. You and Malia should stay here.' I shook my head at him incredulously and I heard the coyote release a growl from next to me.

'If it's too dangerous for me to help, it's definitely too dangerous for you,' I replied.

'That's not true,' he argued.

'Well you're not going out there alone,' Malia protested.

'You need to stay here where the Desert Wolf can't hurt you,' Stiles replied.

'I'll go with you,' I suggested.

'No!' they replied in unison, both sending me a death glare. I rolled my eyes. The two continued to argue as I sank back into the chair, feeling a sudden wave of dizziness wash over me. Deaton said that might happen. It was because of the concussion. I squeezed my eyes shut, finding the yellow glow of the lamp beside me too bright for my eyes. Everything felt more intense somehow now. It was the complete opposite to what I had expected. I wasn't sure whether I loved it or hated it. A thought about whether or not I should call Derek floated through my mind.

I opened my eyes and for the first time since I lost my ability I noticed how it took them longer to focus. I blinked away the fuzziness before a strange sensation built up inside my throat. I tried to suppress it but I couldn't and before I could stop it, I opened my mouth and yawned for the first time in my life. I didn't like it. It made my eyes water.

'Alex,' Stiles said. I looked up at him. He and Malia had moved closer to the door. They both stared at me like a was an alien.

'What? You never seen a girl yawn before?' I asked them icily. _Yes. But they've never seen you yawn before._ It was like I was a child taking its first steps in the outside world. Everything was new. Nothing felt the same.

'We're heading out to the animal clinic,' Stiles said. I knew he'd cave eventually with Malia trying to persuade him. 'Are you gonna be okay by yourself for a while?'

'No,' I replied with a frown. He looked guilty and that made me feel guilty. 'Go,' I instructed both of them. 'Don't get killed.' They nodded.

'If we hear any news of the Desert Wolf, we'll be back,' Stiles replied, more to Malia then me. She reluctantly agreed.

I watched as stiles parted the mountain ash barrier for Malia and they stepped out. He remade it when they were both outside and headed out of my line of sight to the jeep.

 _And then there was one,_ I thought to myself, turning off the lamp, curling up on the sofa and letting my eyes fall shut. My chronic lack of sleep over the last twenty years was starting to catch up to me and the exhaustion had to hit me like a battering ram. I wondered if any of my other habits would too. Being human for a day was really starting to suck.

* * *

I huffed in annoyance, turning off the TV that was intensifying my headache. It was absolutely awful. How did regular people cope with binge watching shows all day long? It was the morning sun seeping through the curtains that had woken me some twenty minutes ago and I was already feeling irritable. I checked my phone again for the time. It hadn't even been two hours since Malia and Stiles had left and I was already struggling to entertain myself. I didn't want to go back to sleep. Being mortal didn't make my nightmares go away. It only made them harder to avoid.

I groaned again, rubbing my temples in the hope that I could massage my headache away. How long did Stiles say I had to wait between aspirin doses? Screw it. One extra wouldn't kill me.

I hopped off the couch and jogged to the McCall kitchen, grabbing the bottle of pills Stiles had left for me on the counter. I grinned at it gratefully, twisting the cap to pop it open. Only it didn't open. I twisted it again furiously, but it just went around and around with no indication of opening. _Damn childproof bottle._ I cursed myself for being so pathetic, but in my defence, I'd never opened one of these before. Prior to today, I'd never had a reason to need painkillers.

I pulled open a utensil draw and grabbed a knife, jamming the end under the cap to try and force it off. I ended up slipping and slicing the top of my finger open, causing me to hiss in annoyance. I threw the useless bottle of pills across the room before running my bleeding finger under the tap.

Stiles would be pissed. I was supposed to be being careful. Turning off the tap, I wrapped my finger in a piece of kitchen paper to try and stop the bleeding and turned back to the living room.

That's when I was it.

A gleaming bottle of Jack Daniels on the shelf. Out of everything that made me different from the rest of the human race, two things had always stood out. Firstly, I couldn't die. That was the obvious one. The second: I couldn't get drunk. But now, if I couldn't heal, did that mean my impeccable alcohol tolerance had disappeared too? There was only one way to find out.

I grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap before taking a large gulp. It tasted bitter and I gagged a little before forcing myself to swallow. I didn't like whisky. I knew that from the few times I'd tried it over the years. But right then, I didn't care. I wondered into the living room, plonking myself down on the sofa and taking another drink from the bottle.

I was most definitely a lightweight. Within a few minutes, I could already feel the hard liquor scrambling my brain. I was thrown back to a few months ago when my blue-haired friend, Marty, had said she wanted us to go out together. Now that I knew I could actually get drunk, I wished she was here with me. I'd seen her tipsy once or twice. I'd betted she was a fun person to have a girls' night out with if that was the kind of thing you were into. I wasn't really.

Even so, I found that I missed her. But more importantly, there was someone else I missed more than anything. Someone I craved the company of more than my own life. I took another drink, fumbling with my phone as I struggled to dial his number. I knew it was a bad idea. Informing him of my sudden state of mortality in an even more sudden state of drunkenness would make him anxious. But somehow, when fairly intoxicated, everything seems like a good idea.

I pressed the phone to my ear.

'Derek,' I said when it stopped ringing, but all that was on the other end was his voicemail. He wasn't picking up. He was probably busy. Was it selfish to wish that he was here with me rather than helping his sister? Probably. But I was a selfish creature. As a supernatural being, I was probably the most selfish creature. I had an ability that preserved my own life perfectly, but had no ability to pass it on to others. No ability to take away another person's pain. What was more selfish than that?

I took another sip of the whisky, frowning at it when it was now only half full. _When did that happen?_ I lay back on the sofa, pouring another mouthful of the liquid down my throat. It didn't taste bitter anymore. It didn't really taste of anything. The numbness I felt was horribly comforting, because I realised the numbness was how I'd felt my entire life. Whatever the dread doctors had given me, it hadn't killed me. It had made me more alive.

I wasn't sure how long I lay there for, but whatever good feeling or boost the whisky had given me had definitely worn off. Someone was opening the door and in my haste to sit up, I somehow ended on the floor, whisky bottle still clutched in my hand.

'Alex?' It was Stiles' voice. The edge of worry in it indicated that he hadn't spotted me yet.

'Hmm,' I mumbled, words not forming in my mouth. I heard him step closer.

'Why are you on the floor?' I couldn't see him yet, but I knew he was approaching. I wasn't sure if he was alone.

'Mm fell,' I said. My vocal chords didn't seem to be working particularly well. When he emerged above me, his face was blurred. There was a beat, and I knew what was coming.

'Are you drunk?' I frowned, holding up a hand at him so he could help me up. I didn't realise it was the hand holding the nearly empty bottle of whisky until he'd pulled it out of my grasp, set it on the table with a huff, and grabbed my hand again. He pulled me up and my legs instantly jellified. I fell back onto the couch.

'You're an idiot,' he told me and I pouted at him. 'You shouldn't drink with a concussion.'

'Wh'm Malia?' I slurred, frowning at the odd sensation in my mouth. The coyote walked through the door almost immediately, along with Scott who had a worried look on his face. His frown deepened when he saw me, probably due to the uncomfortable way I was laying across the couch, my back digging in to the armrest.

'She's fine,' Stiles said with a sigh. 'Slightly intoxicated, but fine.'

'Slightly?' Malia asked sarcastically. I glared at her though I didn't think she really noticed. 'I'll go get a bucket.' At the time, I wasn't sure what the bucket was for.

'I'll get her some water,' Stiles said too, stepping over my legs that were half off the couch and heading to the kitchen. Scott sent me a weary smile as he approached, taking a seat next to me.

'Shouldn't you be with Liam?' I asked the alpha as he inspected the bottle of whisky on the table.

'I gotta go in a few,' he replied. 'Just wanted to make sure you're okay.' He released a small chuckle which made me laugh a little too. 'How do you feel?'

'Great,' I deadpanned grumpily. 'Derek didn't answer my call.'

'Probably a good thing,' he replied. He was probably right, but even in my drunken state, I was worried. I was always worried.

Stiles re-emerged with a glass of water, placing it in my hand and guiding it to my mouth. He didn't let me put it down until I drank the whole thing. I was tired, meaning I didn't really notice it when Scott and Stiles switched places and the alpha was heading to the door. I watched him as he conversed with Malia before leaving once again. Malia placed the bucket on the table before walking back into the kitchen to receive a phone call.

'Drink it.' I turned back to Stiles to see he had another glass of water in his hand. I didn't want to. I was already starting to feel nauseous and the thought of anything else entering my stomach almost had me retching. I now understood the bucket.

'You're only human for twenty-four hours and getting drunk is what you choose to do with it,' Stiles said. He only sounded a little annoyed. The rest of him sounded anxious, and not just about me. 'Liver failure isn't fun, you know?'

'Shut up,' I replied, shifting my position so that my head was resting on his shoulder. He stiffened a little at the contact, probably from surprise. I wasn't the kind of person to need a shoulder to cry on.

'What happened to your finger?' he asked. I realised I still had the kitchen paper wrapped around it. I ignored his question.

'I've spent my whole life hating who I am. Hating my ability,' I whispered, letting my eyes fall shut as they started to sting with tears. 'And now that it's gone, all I want is to have it back. How fucked up is that?'

'I'd say that's a pretty standard response,' he murmured back. There was a beat of silence. 'Why do you hate who you are?' I scoffed. _Wasn't it obvious?_

'I'm selfish, Stiles,' I replied. 'I'm not good. Not like you and Scott. Not like Lydia. Not like any of you.'

'That's not true,' he said. I sat up so I could shoot him an incredulous look. 'Okay, maybe a year ago, that was true.' I leant back down. 'But now you're not selfish at all. You took a bullet for Derek. You helped save Lydia from Eichen House. You saved _me_ from The Chemist.'

'That doesn't make me selfless,' I replied. 'It wasn't like I was risking my life.'

'That doesn't matter,' he insisted. There was a long pause, and I had the urge to say something. Something he needed to know. Something they all needed to know.

'Stiles… I,' I stuttered and suddenly my stomach churned. 'I'm gonna throw up.' I sat up violently, grabbing the bucket as I threw up the contents of my stomach. The half-digested cheese burger and whisky did not taste better on the way back up. I groaned, fatigue encompassing me as I grabbed the second glass of water I hadn't drunk and swallowed it down.

'Sorry,' I mumbled, leaning back on the couch. He shook his head as if to tell me I didn't need to apologise.

'D'you want more water?' he asked. I shook my head, my eyes falling shut.

'Stiles?'

'Hmm?'

'You're better at being human than I am,' I mumbled. 'At least when I'm not immortal.'

'You suck at being immortal,' he replied. I snorted in amusement. He was right. For an immortal, I did die a ludicrous amount.

'I guess no one's really immortal,' I said. He didn't reply. Or if he did, I didn't hear it. I was already encompassed by the beckoning grasps of sleep.

* * *

I was alone when I awoke and I sat up, instantly noticing that it was dark outside. I checked my phone which was almost out of battery to see that I'd slept though most of the day. The other thing I noticed was that I didn't feel so bad anymore. The sleep had clearly helped, along with the fact that I'd thrown up most of the Jack Daniels that had entered my body. On the table in front of me lay two tablets next to the aspirin bottle. Stiles must've left them for me, wherever Stiles was. I dry swallowed them both before standing up. The mountain ash barrier had been replaced by the door.

'Alex,' I heard Malia call behind me. I turned around, taking in the coyote before me. She looked stressed. It made me stressed. 'How do you feel?'

'Better,' I replied. 'Where's Stiles?'

'He went to the hospital with Lydia,' she replied. I saw at her feet that she still had the kit bag filled with weapons. I was glad and hoped that if I needed to, I'd be able to shoot straight. I think Malia was wondering the same thing. I walked over to her and unzipped the bag, pulling out a shotgun. 'Are you gonna be able to use that?' she asked. I raised a brow at her. 'I mean, when you lost your ability, you didn't lose your ability to kick someone's ass, right?' I smirked at her, grabbing one of the knives from the bag and hurtling it across the room. It stuck perfectly in the back of the door, equidistant from both edges. She nodded back.

'I'm starving,' I said absentmindedly.

'Yeah, Stiles said you would be,' she replied. 'There's pizza in the fridge.' I nodded. 'I'm gonna call him again.'

I headed off to the kitchen, opening up the fridge and pulling out a plate of cold pizza. I ate two pieces and instantly felt better. As I went to put the rest back, I heard a noise. A floor board creaking. I shrugged it off as Malia upstairs until I heard it again. Much closer. I grabbed the shot gun, the hairs on the back of my neck pricking up.

'Alex!' I heard the coyote shout. 'Something's wrong. We need to go.' I didn't reply. I could feel another presence. I walked slowly out of the kitchen, coming to the front door. My breath hitched in my throat at the sight of the mountain ash. The line had been broken, meaning Malia and I were no longer protected. We were no longer safe.

The Desert Wolf was in the house.

* * *

 **AN: That was chapter 22! It was one of my favourites to write. I wanted to have a chapter like this since when I first started Alex's story so I hope you like how it turned out.**

 **The next few chapters are gonna be a real roller-coaster and I think you're gonna love it. There's also gonna be a reappearance of a character (and maybe a few others) from earlier in the story that I think you'll be excited for!**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	24. Chapter 23 - Fade To Black

**AN: So this is just a WARNING for the last section of the story. There's gonna be some dark themes along with some violence and maybe even some death... Please take note of the M rating this story has. You have been warned!**

 **Also, it's been just over a year since I posted the first chapter of _Deadpool_ and just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who's been following this story since the beginning and everyone else who's joined on the way! I hope you've enjoyed it!**

* * *

I pressed my back to the wall as I waited for her. She was stronger than me and most likely faster. If I'd still had my ability I would've charged straight for her. But I didn't. One bullet to the head and it was game over for me. I had to be smarter. I knew Malia was upstairs, which meant that for now, she was safe. I wanted to keep things that way for as long as possible. I was supposed to be protecting her after all.

I could hear the Desert Wolf approaching, and as she rounded the corner, I pushed myself from the wall and aimed my shotgun. I fired twice, but she dodged them both, throwing a fist at me. She clipped the edge of my jaw, but only just, meaning the damage was minimal. I had to be careful. I'd never been in a fight where I didn't know if I'd survive. She tried again with her fist and I managed to kick the handgun from her grasp.

Then she had both hands on my gun as I tried to angle it in her direction. I was right. She was stronger than me, and by quite a lot. I suddenly found myself forever grateful to Argent for the 'assignment' he'd sent me on. I was glad for the practice. She used the gun to shove me away, but I held on, causing the gun to go off, the bullet piecing the ceiling. I managed to throw her off me a bit, and the gun went off again, this time hitting the lamp in the sitting room. It sparked for a moment before the room fell dark. _Perfect._

She went for me again, managing to angle the shotgun in my direction. My life flashed before my eyes in a fleeting moment before I realised that in real life, that didn't really happen. In real life, you didn't get time to relive any moment before you died. You just died. I yanked the gun from her hands and used it to whack her over the head. She went down hard and I turned to the door, quickly remaking the mountain ash barrier so Malia's mother couldn't escape. Once it was done, I went back to the kitchen and hid behind the door. Listening. Waiting.

'You still here, Alex?' I heard her ask. Part of her probably assumed that I gotten the hell out of the house. It would've been easy to leave. It would've been easy to let Malia fend for herself. But it wouldn't've been easy to live with myself afterwards. That was something the Desert Wolf would never understand.

I held my breath as I heard her walk closer.

'Who're you calling, Malia?' she asked her daughter. She must've had supernatural hearing abilities to be able to hear Malia dialling on her phone. 'Is it Stiles, your boyfriend? Tell him to come.' I hoped she wouldn't. 'Tell all your friends if you want. Go ahead, Malia.' I could see why the coyote had such a strong desire to take out her mother. 'You tell me how many people I'm going to have to kill tonight.'

I peered out from behind the door and watched through the shadows, my finger braced on the trigger. When she was in my line of sight, I fired, narrowly missing her.

'Almost, Alex,' she said. 'But not quite.' She sounded angry, and I hoped that maybe that would make her sloppy. 'You'll get another chance, but you better make sure it's a head shot.' I would, and the only regret I'd have about it would be that Malia wouldn't be able to do it herself. 'Coming down, Malia?' she asked.

'Malia, don't move!' I yelled, putting the shotgun on the ground and pulling my Glock from the back of my jeans. It felt more comfortable and I needed to be able to run if necessary. I braced it with both hands in front of me.

'Malia, come down,' her mother instructed.

'Don't listen to her,' I shouted back.

'I'm not going to stop, Malia,' she told her. 'I'm taking back what you stole from me. Talia Hale said it was a gift. A coyote passes down part of her power to her daughter. She said it was beautiful.' I gritted my teeth, hoping Malia wasn't paying attention to anything she was saying. 'I call it theft.'

There was a beat, and then the room fell into chaos. The Desert Wolf whirled around, sending several shots in my direction. I ducked down, sending a clip full back at her. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins more than usual. It was electric, like fire. It fuelled my aching limbs, propelling me up as I shoved a new clip into my Glock and fired more shots at her.

And that was when Stiles burst through the front door. I could only just see him past where I was hiding, but he was face to face with the Desert Wolf. Malia suddenly appeared, grabbing Stiles and pulling him away. She got up quickly, attacking her mother as Stiles cowered in the corner, trying to avoid the claws and bullets. I ran out of from behind the door, my gun held in front of me as I aimed, my bullet nicking the older coyote's leg. She hissed in pain, distracting her enough for Malia to ram into her. They both went down, their bodies smashing through Melissa's glass table.

The Desert Wolf was the first to get up and she threw Malia across the room, her head colliding with the wall. I watched as Stiles lunged at her, but she was for too skilled and flung him to the side like it was nothing. That was when I ran at her and she grabbed her gun from the floor, sending a bullet in my direction, I flung myself to the ground to try to avoid it.

'No!' Malia yelled, drawing attention to herself. The older coyote now had her cornered her gun trained on her daughter. She fired, and I watched as the bullet hit Malia in the stomach, causing her to cower over in pain. I knew what that felt like. It enraged me. I had to help. I ran after her as she continued to fire at both of us, most of the bullets heading in Malia's direction.

She fell to the ground and I heard Stiles shout in her direction. I watched as Stiles threw something to her, and when I looked, I saw that it was the jar containing Belasko's talons. Malia smashed it on the ground, before burying her claws in her mother's stomach, using the talons to steal her power. I watched as Malia's eyes burned bright blue, the same colour as Derek's. The Deserts Wolf's eyes dimmed as her power drained away, and she stumbled backwards. I rushed towards her, slamming her in the back of the head with the butt of my gun. She went down, defeated.

I watched as Stiles got to his feet, rushing to Malia's side. I smiled as he hugged he pulled her up from the ground and hugged her to him. We'd done it. We'd defeated the Desert Wolf.

But as the celebratory thoughts left my mind, something else floated in, and I realised how terrible I felt. I was shaking, and as the adrenaline of the last few minutes wore off, an immense pain exploded in my stomach. I looked down, my hands meeting something warm and sticky. My back hit the wall as I stumbled backwards, my eyes widening in realisation.

'Stiles,' I breathed as I pressed a hand to the wound. In the moment, I'd barely felt the shot. I'd been so focused on making sure Malia didn't get hurt that I hadn't even noticed. Now I did. The teen hadn't heard me say his name, his concerned gaze fixed on the coyote as he rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

I grabbed onto the wall as my vision started to blur, my hand leaving a crimson stain on the wall paper. I kept my other hand pressed to my stomach, but I could feel the blood leaking out of my body. It hurt. Worse than anything I'd ever felt. Because I knew I wasn't healing. I was losing blood. Fast. The pressure of my hand keeping my guts from spilling out onto the floor was the only thing between me and death.

'Stiles,' I said again, my head feeling heavy. He turned this time, catching my eye for a second before I slid down the wall, my body slumping to the ground.

'No, no, no,' he said, rushing over to my side, his eyes wide. 'Alex.' He said my name and I grimaced at him.

'Sorry,' I apologised, feeling so guilty for being the cause of that concerned and worried look on his face. 'Guess I should've been more careful.' He shook his head at me, grabbing both of my hands and pressing them against the wound with his own.

'Call an ambulance,' he instructed. It took me a moment for my foggy brain to realise he was talking to Malia. I glanced in her direction to see she was already on the phone. 'Alex, you're gonna be okay,' he assured me. I wasn't really listening. I couldn't. I was too tired. Too weak. 'Look at me, hey, hey, you're gonna be fine.' I nodded at him, and although he sounded confident in his words, his eyes gave him away. He knew. Just like I did. 'It's not even that bad. You've survived worse, right? They're gonna patch you up at the hospital, and when the twenty-four hours are up, you'll be back to normal.' I smiled, releasing a breath of laughter as I tried not to scream from the pain I was in.

'Nice of you to say,' I said with a smile. 'If I didn't feel like I was gonna pass out right now, I'd probably believe you.'

'Shut up,' he said. 'You're not gonna die. I forbid you.' I smiled.

'You forbid me?' I was about to continue when something pooled in my mouth and I had to cough. Blood dribbled from the corner of my mouth. I could taste it on my tongue. I knew that was a bad sign.

'Malia!' he yelled to her as my head fell back. The coyote returned.

'The ambulance is on its way,' she replied.

'Can you text everyone else?' he asked. 'Tell them to meet us at the hospital?' I wanted to protest, but I was too tired. I didn't want everyone there. I didn't want them to see me die.

'What about Scott?' Malia asked. 'Should I ask him to come here now?'

'Why?' Stiles asked.

'I mean, he might be able to help her,' she said, sending Stiles a knowing look. 'Could he bite her?'

'Yeah right, give red eyes and fangs to an immortal, that'll end well,' Stiles replied sarcastically, his hands pressing on mine harder to try and still the bleeding.

'But she's not immortal, Stiles,' Malia reminded him. 'Look at her, she's dying!'

'She'd not gonna die!' I wasn't so sure. Whatever was happening inside my body at that moment, it wasn't good. I missed the rest of their argument about if and how they could help me. The ringing in my ears grew too loud for me to hear. And then I passed out.

The next time I was conscious, it was only Stiles with me. I could hear a siren outside.

'Stiles,' I whispered through my hyperventilating. 'You have to call Derek,' I panted. 'Call him…I never…you have to tell him…'

'What?' he asked frantically. 'Tell him what?'

'Tell him I love him.' There were tears in my eyes as I spoke. 'He doesn't know… I never told him.'

'Alex,' he said, trying to comfort me as the tears slipped over my cheeks. 'He knows, okay? There's no way he doesn't know.'

'But I never said it,' I replied furiously. 'I never said it outload. Please…please tell him. Please… you have to… please.'

'Okay,' he agreed. 'Okay, I'll tell him. And when you get through this, you can tell him yourself.' I nodded, feeling with every moment that I was slipping away.

'Stiles,' I breathed again. I could see the tears in his eyes as well. They made my heart break. I couldn't believe I'd done this to him. How could I have made him so sad?

'Yeah?'

'I'm scared,' I admitted. I was at my most vulnerable, and I trusted Stiles enough to tell him how I really felt. I was terrified. Terrified of the unknown. Terrified to die knowing I wasn't coming back.

'Don't be,' he replied. He looked like he wanted to say more, but then the paramedics were coming in the house.

'Stiles,' I said his name again. One last time. He looked at me as he moved aside, letting the paramedics take over. He didn't walk away though. He stayed by my side. 'You were right,' I told him. He shot me a questioning look as I smiled at him, a small, frightened laugh escaping my lips as unconsciousness started to take over. 'You were right,' I repeated. 'I do suck at being immortal.'

* * *

Consciousness for me at that time wasn't really a thing. Not entirely, anyway. I found that everything was dark, but I could still hear. I could still make out noises and the occasional voice. I didn't feel a lot. My stomach didn't hurt much anymore. There wasn't much of anything constant in my state of almost-consciousness. Only the darkness and an incessant beeping I found highly irritating. That was, until, I realised it signalled that I was still alive. It didn't annoy me so much after that.

 _'_ _How's she doing?'_ That was the Sheriff. He'd been in and out for the last couple of hours.

 _'_ _It's hard to say,'_ Melissa replied. _'_ _Better than before the surgery. But…'_

 _'_ _But?'_

 _'_ _She lost a lot of blood. She went into hypovolemic shock,_ ' Melissa continued. _'_ _And even if she survives her injuries, she has no immune system. If she gets an infection, I don't know if she'll survive.'_

 _'_ _Stiles said it would take twenty-four-hours before she was back to normal,' the sheriff said. 'How long is left?'_ I imagined Melissa checking her watch. She sighed.

 _'_ _About four and a half hours,'_ she replied.

 _'_ _Do you think she'll make it that long?_ ' he asked.

 _'_ _I have no idea.'_

My head span and I was unaware of what time was passing. I heard intermittent voices. Scott was there. I knew that because I'd heard him and Stiles discussing the idea of giving me the bite. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but something told me it wouldn't work if he did. I'd heard Lydia as well at some point joining in the discussion. Since the three of them were at the hospital and not on the lookout for the beast, I guessed they'd managed to save Mason. If I'd been able to move, I would've smiled. I liked that kid.

Argent made an appearance at some stage. He didn't say anything, but I knew he was there. I could hear him breathing. Even though our last few encounters hadn't been the best, I still found his presence comforting. At one point, I felt his hand squeeze mine for a second. That's how I knew it was him. They were calloused and rough. Hunter's hands. Like Dylan's.

I knew that the young deputy had entered the room when I smelt the faint aroma of ash. I wanted to open my eyes and speak to him but I found I couldn't. I was too weak. The grips of unconsciousness were too strong.

I wasn't sure how long I lay in the silence. In the darkness. But suddenly, a blinding light pierced through my eyelids and found myself staring at a stark white ceiling. My vision was still blurry and I blinked over and over again to try and clear it. It was only when I had gained a little more consciousness that I felt the pressure around my nose and mouth. It was an oxygen mask. It felt foreign against my skin. Despite its purpose, it felt suffocating, and I tensed in my hospital bed, momentarily freaking out.

The constant beeping picked up speed, and I realised the time between beeps was directly proportional to my stress levels. Or maybe blood pressure? Whatever it was, the increase alerted the people in the room that I hadn't noticed were there.

'Alex.' I couldn't place the voice immediately, but when I felt his hand on my arm and his face moved into my line of vision, I relaxed a little. 'Hey, it's okay.'

'Scott?' My voice was hoarse. Speaking had never been so much effort.

'Don't try and move,' he said softly. 'You're in the hospital.' I blinked again, my foggy mind struggling to focus on the different shapes in the room. I looked to my left, spotting Melissa fiddling with my IV bag. Lydia stood in the corner of the room. I frowned at the bandage on her neck.

There was a shuffle and the door swung open, revealing Stiles holding a bag of chips. When he caught my glossy eyes, he dropped them to the floor and walked over. He looked exhausted. They all did.

'You're awake?' His voice was so disbelieving that it almost made me doubt if I was, in fact, fully conscious. I shot him a weak smile as he squeezed my hand in his.

"Did you…?" I whispered, looking to my friend for the answer to a question I _needed_ to know.

"Yeah, I called him," he informed me. "I left a message a few hours ago. I'm sure he's nearly here." I smiled gratefully, my eyes stinging.

"Mason…" I breathed weakly. "The beast…"

"Mason's okay," Scott reassured me. "The beast is gone and so is Theo." I nodded, and for a moment, all seemed right with the world. And then a woozy feeling washed over me, and the beeping beside me when erratic. Something hurt, but I wasn't sure what. I wasn't sure of anything.

 _"_ _Her blood pressures dropping,"_ I vaguely was aware of Melissa saying from beside me as my eyes rolled back. _"_ _She must be_ _haemorrhaging_ _internally. Someone page Dr Geyer!"_ I recognised the name. I think it belonged to Liam's step farther.

Within minutes I felt the presence of another person, and the absence of another. Stiles was no longer by my side, but I could hear him shouting my name from far away. He was telling me to hold on. As was Scott. I couldn't hear Lydia though, and something inside of me wondered if she'd left to find a quiet place to scream.

 _"_ _Someone find me an OR, we need to open her up again,"_ a voice said. Hands pulled and prodded me until I was sure my skin would've been nothing but bruises.

 _"_ _Her BP is fifty over thirty-four,"_ someone else said. _"_ _She's not gonna make it to the OR."_ The monitors were going crazy, and everyone else seemed to be in a panic around me.

 _"_ _We're losing her."_ The noise was turning to fog in my mind. White mist floating away. I was drifting away with no thoughts in my mind. Everything was just-

.

.

.

 _"_ _She's back."_ The strange feeling of my heart thudding in my chest disconcerted me. I was back? Where did I go? The general murmur of bodies surrounding me seemed to be one of chaos mixed with relief. Even without my ability I was too stubborn to stay dead. But I wasn't sure the magical paddles would work a second time if it were to happen again.

* * *

My head was so fuzzy and my eyes felt weighted down. I could barely contemplate a thing, but when I felt a pair of soft lips brush against my forehead I knew instantly who it was. I dragged my eyes open just as his fingers curled around mine, his hands feeling cool for the first time ever due to my fevered skin.

'You're here,' I breathed, trying to smile but it came up short. I was just too weak. Derek's eyes sparkled back at me as he leaned his elbows on the bed sheets. They were as emerald and beautiful as I'd remembered, maybe even more so.

'But…Cora,' I started, panic setting in when I remembered the trouble his sister had been in. He hushed me, squeezing my had firmly whilst rubbing my clammy forehead.

'You don't need to worry yourself with that,' he whispered. I moved my free hand wrapped it around the back of his neck, using all my strength to pull him towards me. Our lips didn't connect, but that didn't mean the moment wasn't intimate. His forehead rested against mine as he leaned over my shivering body, my eyes shut as I inhaled his scent.

'I love you,' I told him weakly before my body had a chance to give up. I needed him to hear it. I needed him to know what he meant to me. Even after the weeks we'd spent apart, nothing about the way I felt about him had changed. If anything, his absence had made me love him more. I didn't want him to ever leave my side again.

He smiled back at me.

'I love you,' I repeated again. I didn't want him to ever forget it. He leaned in, his lips hovering over mine. I realised then that my oxygen mask was gone, but I was too focused on the man in front of me to question it. He stopped only centre-meters away from my lips, his warm breath pushing against them.

'Then why did you do this to me?' he whispered, his glittering eyes turning dark. The blood pumping through my veins that was too hot for my body suddenly felt icy cold. He pulled away, but I clutched to his hand.

'I don't understand,' I whimpered as he stepped away. I tried to pull him back, but he resisted. When I looked up at him, I could see the crimson stains on his shirt. They were so dark. They seemed so real.

'Why did you do this to me, Alex?' he asked, his voice even. Dead. His voice sounded like a hundred voices.

'I'm sorry,' I replied, tears leaking from my eyes as he prised my fingers from his. 'I'm sorry!' I screamed. 'Derek!' His face blurred, the blood creeping up and around his body like a spreading plague. He wasn't really there. He never had been. The realisation made me want to scream. But I already was. I was screaming, my hysterics causing nurses to swarm around my hospital bed.

I'd screamed myself awake, but it wasn't like the last time. I was in agony. My skin was on fire. My stomach was exploding in pain over and over again. Needles pierced into me from all angles.

 _'_ _Alex.'_ I didn't want to hear my name. I didn't want to hear anything, but it was all around me. I couldn't stop it.

 _'_ _Alex, it's okay.'_ When I felt his rough palm against the back of my hand I tried to pull it away. I didn't want any more hallucinations. I didn't want to see any more blood.

'Stop!' I yelled, writhing on the bed to try and get away. Hands held me down from all angles. I'm sure they thought they were helping me, but it only made me more agitated. More scared. 'Where is he?' I needed to know. 'Where's Derek?' The figure still held my hand as he hushed me. 'What did you do to him?!'

 _'_ _He's on his way,'_ the man said. He was calm. His aura of stillness made me know who it was.

'Argent?' His blurry face nodded at me. I wondered why it was him. Why was he the one to be with me at this time? Something told me that maybe the others had been asked to leave. He was the only one that could keep it together enough to stay.

'He'll be here soon,' he assured me. 'Just hold on.' I nodded, but something told me I wouldn't be able to.

'Don't leave,' I told him. I didn't want to be left alone with strangers. I didn't want to die alone. He didn't reply but he didn't leave either. That gave me my answer. My skin was on fire. My fever must've skyrocketed. My hands were clammy, but he didn't let go. 'You're one of the good ones,' I breathed, my lungs feeling empty. My words echoed what I had once told him a while ago. I wanted to make sure he knew it. 'I don't hate you for covering it up.'

'Don't worry about that now,' he told me.

'Dylan…' my voice was growing quieter and quieter. 'I don't blame him either.'

'I know,' he replied. 'He'd be proud of you.' I nodded, but the movement was so slight that no one would've noticed it.

'You remind me of him.' A ghost of a smile crossed his lips.

'You remind me of _her_ ,' he whispered as my eyes fell shut. I couldn't keep them open anymore. I was fading. Nothing I'd that'd ever happened to me mattered anymore. None of it. As I disappeared from the world, none of my thoughts or worries would count for anything. The beeping beside me slowed and I knew it was time to go. I tried to hold on for him, for Derek, but I couldn't. My only comfort was the memory of his dark hair. The perfect curve of his jaw. His emerald eyes.

Now it was my time to go. I'd cheated death too many times to be bitter about it. And as I went, nothing hurt. I didn't feel anything at all. And the last thing I could comprehend was the incessant beeping beside me merge into one continuous line.

* * *

 **AN: So yeah. She died :(**

 **This is the final chapter... joking! Of course there is still more to come! No way I'd leave it at that.**

 **Hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you thought! Much love x**


	25. Chapter 24 - Awakenings

_(Three years ago)_

 _Suddenly, the flickering light began to spark, along with the other electrical appliances. It must've been some kind of power surge. I carried on banging on the glass as I screamed. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to get out. I pounded after, screaming and screaming to be set free. Just as my shouts began to die away, the electric lock on the door sparked and it popped open._

 _I watched all along the corridor as the other doors opened in a burst of light. I tentatively pushed the one to my cell all the way open and stepped out into the corridor. I hadn't been out of the cell on my own terms in roughly seven months and although I was terrified, I couldn't help the buzz I felt inside me at having a taste of freedom._

 _I jogged down the stark white corridors, disorientated at first. I didn't know which way was to an exit. I didn't know if it was even possible to get out. The supernatural creatures I passed on the way were all standing by their doors, though none of them followed in my footsteps and made a break for freedom. It was like some kind of invisible barrier was stopping them from leaving their cells. I stumbled around a corner, searching for a way out through the chaos of flashing lights and blaring sirens._

 _And that was when I saw him._

 _I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted the dark figure. He had his eyes focused on one of the cells, his attention on the resident who, from what I could tell, was a werewolf. The figure was hooded. I couldn't make out his face through the shadows. The alpha werewolf cowered in the corner of his cell, the invisible barrier not allowing him to leave. I watched in horror as the dark figure entered the cell, his focus on nothing but the man in the corner. Even from the dim light I could see the alphas eyes glowing a deep red and the fangs that protruded from his gums. He looked terrified as he backed away from the looming figure that was making its way towards him._

 _The hooded man stretched out a hand and I gasped as his fist buried itself inside the werewolf's chest. The victim screamed, his eyes glowing even brighter as he cried out in pain. I watched as a glower of light flickered inside the wolf's chest. It grew brighter before a piece of it began to move up the ghostly figure's arm, travelling all the way past his shoulder and to his own chest where it settled and then dimmed. The werewolf looked even more shocked than I did, his eyes widening further when his attacker's eyes started to glow a similar deep red._

 _Suddenly, the figure ripped his hand from the wolf's chest, his fist grasping onto a heart. The sight of it was harrowing as the alpha's eyes dimmed before he fell to the ground with a thud._ _A cry left my lips. Even after everything that had happened to me in the past seven months, I hadn't witnessed anything before that chilled me right to the bone. I'd never witnessed something so evil._

 _My cry of complete revulsion and horror didn't go unnoticed. The figure turned around, his attention now fully on me. I could feel his eyes burrowing into my skin. I knew what he was. Dylan had warned me about people like him. He hadn't just killed that werewolf. He'd taken some of its power for his own benefit. He was a scavenger, and now he was after me._

 _We stared at one another for a long moment. Even through all the chaos, the moment we locked eyes it was like nothing else existed. I could feel his desire just from the way he stared at me. Unmoving. A deadly silence in the mania._

 _And then I ran._

 _I ran as fast I as I could in the opposite direction away from him. Because I was scared. Because whoever that man was, he knew me. He knew what I was. He knew what I could do. And he wanted it._

* * *

My eyes snapped open.

Darkness surrounded me. I couldn't see anything. I took a breath, my lungs screeching as they inflated with air. I was cold. In fact, I was freezing. My skin felt like ice and the feeling was enhanced by the fact that I was completely naked, bar a sheet that covered me from the neck down. I pulled it from on top of me and kicked it away, trying to get my bearings.

The space was small and rigid. I couldn't stretch my hands up in front of me as I lay. I reached above my head, my hands connecting with what felt like cool metal.

'Hello?' My voice was like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together. I coughed, trying to get my vocal chords to work. 'Hello?' I felt around in front of me, banging my fist against the metal. It clanged in a way that told me it wasn't solid. There was something on the other side. Perhaps my freedom?

I banged harder with my fists, trying desperately to free myself from my metal cage. It almost felt like a nightmare and I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or really awake. It was so dark. After a few minutes of painful and awkward manoeuvring I managed to turn around so that my feet were where my head once was. This meant I could use the power of my legs to try and break through the metal door. I kicked it hard. Again. Again. I shouted in frustration, using all my strength to kick it open. Finally, there was a crack as the metallic door gave way and light flooded in.

It was blinding at first. My eyes weren't used to the light. I kept them squinted as I shuffled out, my bare feet hitting the ground. Once I was fully out of the metal box I'd been in, I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to get them to adjust to the brightness of the room. When I could finally make out shapes, I realised exactly where I was: The morgue.

I shuddered as I gazed at the lockers that I knew where filled with dead bodies. I'd just been one of them. Why had I just been one of them? I couldn't remember. I tried my best to think back to what I remembered last. Was I in some kind of accident? That had happened once before. I'd woken up in the morgue on more than one occasion.

I bent down, pulling off the tag that was tied around my toe.

 _Jane Doe_. Unsurprising. I tossed it in the trash. In situations like this, I always needed to get out as fast as possible. Someone walking in on me right now would probably be the worst thing that could happen. But I needed some clothes.

I contemplated just wrapping myself in the sheet but decided against it, instead, picking out a pair of blue scrubs from a cupboard. Since I was in a hospital, this would help me blend in. I'd just have to hope no one noticed my bare feet. I changed quickly, glad to be able to cover myself up.

I checked for any outstanding injuries, like a dislocated shoulder and cracked rib that had been too out of place to heal. Relieved when I discovered none, I wracked my brain to try and figure out what had happened.

Then it all came back.

The Deadpool. Beacon Hills. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Malia, Kira, Liam, Parrish, Deaton. Argent. The assignment. Derek. Oregon. The loft. Theo. The Chimeras. The Dread Doctors. The Beast. The Desert Wolf. The gun shot…

I grabbed my stomach, my fingers curling around the blue fabric that covered perfect skin.

I was alive.

I remembered the hospital. I remembered blacking out and feeling sick. I remembered being human. I remembered how everything has felt ten times more intense. I was back to my comfortable dullness like nothing had even happened. But it had. How long had I been gone for?

I walked to the door, slowly pulling it open to check if anyone was around. The corridor seemed to be deserted and I quickly made my way out and through the glass doors. A few people gave me strange looks as I walked through the parking lot. It was always disorientating waking up like this. I'd always hated it. Not knowing what day it was. Unsure where I should go.

I spotted a row of bicycles to my left and jogged over, pulling one out before realising it was chained up. I pulled at the metal links fruitlessly to try and get it free, surprised when the chain snapped with not much effort. I frowned. That was way too easy. But I let it slide, passing it off as down to adrenalin. I looked over my shoulder, making sure no one had noticed me nick the bike before I sped off, my bare feet moving the peddles as fast as I could.

* * *

Much to my delight, Stiles Stilinski had reverted back to his former habit of forgetting to lock his window. I ascended the drain pipe with ease and within thirty seconds, I was sat in his desk chair. He wasn't in the house. I knew that because his jeep wasn't parked in the driveway. He must've been at school. From the way the sun shone brightly through his curtains I could tell it was still the middle of the day. I'd wait for him to get home. I hoped he wouldn't freak out too much.

After about twenty minutes of sitting completely still I found myself growing bored. I stood up and wandered around his room, taking in all the little trinkets and photographs that littered the walls and surfaces. I ran a finger along the edge of his desk, dust accumulating in thick clumps. It was then that I spotted the cardboard box on the floor. I wouldn't've thought anything of it hadn't the small photograph been on top.

I stared at it. It was the one of my mother holding a baby. Well, holding me. I smiled when I saw it. The edges were a little bent and covered in finger smudges like someone had been holding it a lot. Looking at it. I guessed it was Stiles. He was the one who'd saved it for me after all.

In fact, the whole box was filled with my things. My leather jacket. My phone (which was completely dead much to my annoyance). I lifted it up onto the desk to take a better look, pulling out the jacket that took up most of the space. In the bottom, I was surprised to discover the needle and syringe containing the strange fluid the Dread Doctors had injected me with. It was still over half full. I wondered why he had kept it.

The slamming of the front door startled me and I turned around, my elbow colliding with box and sending it and its contents to the floor with a thud.

'Stiles?' the Sheriff called up from the hall. I cursed under my breath as I head footsteps on the stairs. Frantically, I worked to put all the items back in the box, but before I had a chance to hide or come up with some kind of plan, he was opening the door and all I could do was stand like a deer in the headlights.

We locked eyes and for a moment, I wondered whether he would be fine. I was wrong.

'Hi,' I said awkwardly, wincing at how horse my voice sounded. I really needed a drink or something. He opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. He looked like he'd seen a ghost, and from his point of view, he probably thought he had.

'You're…' he breathed as he blinked at me. 'You're uh-.'

'Yeah,' I replied, my voice sounding almost as shocked as his did. He inhaled deeply, his cheeks puffing out before he released a long breath. 'Are you okay?' He looked pale. In fact, he looked like he might pass out. He nodded although it was clear I'd nearly given him a heart attack.

'I uh… I saw your body in the morgue.' I wasn't sure what to say to that, and I think the Sheriff sensed that I was feeling uncomfortable because he quickly apologised. 'Sorry, I'm just having a hard time trying to understand how…'

'Yeah, I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised myself,' I admitted, my mind racing over and over the last few hours I'd spent at the hospital. I'd been sure I wouldn't survive. I'd been sure it was the end. I think Sheriff Stilinski could sense my inner turmoil because he was sending me concerned looks. Either that or he thought I might drop down dead at any moment. Both were equally likely. He looked like he was about to say something when an engine pulled up outside the house. We both instinctively glanced towards the window, both knowing who it was. Stiles.

I ran a hand through my matted hair.

'He's totally gonna freak out, isn't he,' I muttered more to myself than anyone else. He didn't reply, simply offering a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. I followed him downstairs, hanging back as he approached the door to greet his son and presumably try to break the news gently.

There was a click of key into lock before the door swung open, revealing Stiles Stilinski himself, followed by Scott McCall. I watched them carefully, somehow finding the three of them fascinating. They each held a bag, Scott with a bag slung over his shoulder whilst a backpack clung to his human friend. The sight of them warmed my heart, though I wasn't sure what it was that made the whole thing seem so surreal. Maybe it was because they didn't look weighed down by the weight of the world. Maybe it was because for the first time since I'd met them, they just looked like two normal teenagers coming home from school.

'Stiles,' the Sheriff said as the two of them walked through the door.

'Hey Dad,' he replied as he shoved his keys into his pocket.

'Can I talk to you two for a second?' he asked, trying to keep his voice even. I could see something change in Scott's face. It was like he'd sensed that someone else was in the house, only he couldn't quite place it.

'Sorry, Dad, we gotta head over to Lydia's straight away,' he replied absentmindedly as he gathered some things from the living room table. The Sheriff sighed.

'Stiles, this is kind of important,' his father pressed.

'Dad, we were supposed to be there like a half hour-.'

'Stiles.' It felt like my voice echoed through the entire ground floor of the house. All eyes were on me as I stepped into view. The shocked silence that followed seemed to drag into eternity and I wished one of them would just say something. But when they finally did, it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

'I knew it!' I stepped back abruptly as Stiles' eyes locked on mine before he glanced back at his friend who looked completely bewildered. Of course, I was happy that he wasn't freaking out like I'd expected, but I was so surprised that the happiness felt like a moot point. It was almost like it was an 'I told you so' moment, which felt completely bizarre. 'I knew it,' he repeated like he actually couldn't believe he'd been right. 'They said there was no way you could come back from how you were,' he explained breathlessly. I wondered who _they_ were. 'But I knew you could. Because I've see you dead before, remember?' I nodded, still trying to process the whirlwind of explanation he'd just given.

Then I was nearly knocked off my feet as his arms collapsed around me. I hugged him back, a laugh escaping my lips as I rested my head on his shoulder. I spotted Scott and we locked eyes, his deep brown ones lighting up as he grinned at me. Once Stiles had pulled away I stepped towards the alpha, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him a squeeze. His arms wrapped around my waist and he spun once around playfully, causing my feet to lift from the floor for a second. By the time he put me down again we were both laughing.

'I don't understand,' he said, his eyes showing an elated confusion.

'I guess the world wasn't quite ready for me to leave,' I replied.

'Are you back to normal?' Stiles asked from beside me. I frowned. I was pretty sure I was, but I hadn't actually tested yet. Sensing what was on my mind, Stiles threw me a pen knife which I flicked open and made an incision across my palm. It healed straight back up like it was supposed to and I released a breath, waving my hand at them.

'I guess so.'

'I've gotta make some calls,' the Sheriff said, his hands finding his mobile as he sent me a look. I nodded in agreement. 'Stiles, get the poor girl some clothes.' I laughed at that. 'And uh, maybe a shower,' he added with a pointed look. I knew what he was talking about. It was difficult to ignore the scent of formaldehyde in the air. I grimaced.

He disappeared into the study and Scott and I followed Stiles up the stairs to his room. Once we were inside I turned to shut the door, my fingers leaving dents in the handle as I released it. I pretended not to notice.

'So let me have it,' I said as I plonked myself down in Stiles' desk chair. He'd set himself down on the edge of his bed whilst the teen wolf stood by the window. 'How long was I out?' They cast shifty glances between each other and I rolled my eyes at their childishness. 'Come on, I can take it,' I prompted. 'Three days? Five?'

'Uh, actually it's been almost two weeks,' Scott said tentatively. I tensed in the chair, and I think the alpha noticed too. _Two weeks?_ I'd never lost more than one before. But I was alive. I couldn't really complain.

'Okay,' I said, rubbing a hand over my face. 'Do you have any water?' I usually expected a question like that to be met with a sarcastic reply from Stiles. _Of course we have water._ By he made no such comment, simply slipping out of the room and returning in less than a minute with a full glass.

'Two weeks, huh?' I repeated, taking a sip of the water. My ability meant that I didn't really _need_ to keep hydrated, but it did help to calm me down. 'Everything been okay?'

'You mean other than the fact that you were dead?' Stiles asked. I shot him a blank look.

'Yeah, everything's been fine,' Scott told me, ignoring his friends question. 'Theo and the Dread Doctors are gone. The Desert Wolf won't be coming back any time soon-.'

 _Smash._

Scott was interrupted by the sound of my glass shattering in my hand. They both stared at me, tiny shards of glass having scattered all over Stiles carpet.

'Woah,' Scott said with a small laugh, trying to dispel the tension that was growing in the room. I stood up and began to brush the splinters into my hands before putting them in the trash.

'What was that?' I heard Stiles ask. I could feel both their eyes on me. 'I mean, you're not about to hulk out, right?' I huffed in annoyance.

'No Stiles. I'm not about to _hulk_ out,' I replied, my tone frustrated. I was sure of it, but something did feel different. It was as if I no longer knew my own strength. 'Do you have any of my clothes? I wanna take a shower.' My tone was abrupt but I knew Scott and Stiles would forgive me. I'd had a long day.

'Lydia has most of your stuff,' Stiles said as he rummaged through the cardboard box on his desk that contained some of my things. 'But I think Malia left some jeans here.' He checked in his top drawer and threw me a pair of black ripped jeans. Not my usual style but they would do. 'Hey, you can wear this,' he replied, pulling a navy t-shirt out of the cardboard box and flinging it in my direction.

The fabric felt soft in my hands and I pressed it to my face, inhaling the comforting scent.

'Why do you have men's clothing?' Stiles teased and I huffed, sending him a glare.

'It's Derek's,' I replied, walking over to him and shoving him out the way so I could locate some underwear from the box that I sincerely hoped no one had been paying much attention to. And then it was like something inside me switched on.

'Oh my god,' I gasped. ' _Derek.'_ I whirled around, my wild eyes darting between the two teenagers. 'Where the hell's Derek?' They both shifted uncomfortably under my watch. 'I mean, what happened when he showed up? Does he-does he think I'm dead?' My mind played out all the possible scenarios that went down when Derek showed up at the hospital. Did Stiles tell him what I told him? What had he said on the phone? How had he reacted when he'd discovered I couldn't heal anymore?

'Alex…'

'Is he still in Beacon Hills?' I asked frantically. 'At the loft, maybe? I need to find him.' I tried to turn my phone on to call him before realising that it was still dead. 'God, what if he's just taken off somewhere? Stiles, do you have a charger?'

'Alex.'

'What?' My voice was harsh as I turned around to face the two of them. They both looked apprehensive like they knew something they knew I wouldn't like. They needed to tell me.

'Alex, Derek isn't in Beacon Hills,' Scott began. 'He never came back.' I frowned, not understanding his words.

'What do you mean?'

'He never showed,' Stiles explained. 'I called him after what went down with the Desert Wolf and told him he needed to come back to Beacon Hills, but he never came.' I shook my head. It didn't make any sense.

'But-but you spoke to him on the phone, right?' I asked in clarification. 'I mean, you spoke to him and he said he was on his way?' The lack of agreement in Stiles' eyes made my stomach lurch. 'Stiles, you spoke to him on the phone, _right_?'

'Well actually, I uh,' he stuttered, his fingers scratching behind his right ear. 'I left a message.' I began to rub my temples with increasing force, my brain not quite contemplating what was happening.

'So, you're telling me that you left a voice message telling him I was in danger _two weeks_ ago, and you never heard back from him?' Their silence confirmed it. The first thing that popped into my head was that he was in trouble. Why wouldn't Derek check his voice mails unless he was in trouble. Then another possibility struck me. Maybe he had heard the message. Maybe even after hearing the message he decided not to come to Beacon Hills. Maybe…

'I'm gonna take a shower,' I muttered quietly, grabbing my clothes before shuffling towards the door. 'Could one of you charge my phone?'

'Alex…'

'I'm taking a shower,' I said again, more forcefully as I headed for the door. They let me go and as I slipped out Stiles' room and into the bathroom, I felt something uncomfortable settle in the pit of my stomach. Although there was nothing physically wrong with me, something still hurt.

* * *

I could hear murmurs downstairs when I exited the bathroom after giving my body a proper scrub. It felt good to get the feeling of death off of my skin and out of my hair. I grabbed my phone from Stiles' desk which he had charged for me and headed down the stairs. More people had arrived, including Malia, Melissa and Lydia. I ran my fingers through my damp hair as I wondered over to them.

The strawberry blonde attacked me with a hug which I returned with a small smile, though it didn't reach my eyes. She noticed and sent me a concerned look, but I brushed it off with a shrug. The conversation became a blur as she filled me in on her theories as to how I'd survived. Of what I listened to I gathered that it was because even though I'd died, the serum hadn't changed my biology so much that I couldn't fully heal after the twenty-four hours were up. I didn't fully understand all the science she used to explain it, but I didn't think it mattered. The laws of science had been so bent in the last month that they didn't seem to matter anyway.

'I have to make a phone call,' I muttered as I took a step away from the group. My mind was reeling, thoughts of my green-eyes wolf overwhelming me. I slipped out of the room and into the hall, my phone already pressed to my ear. All I could hear was beeping on the other end. No Derek. The number had been disconnected. I redialled to make sure, the feeling in my stomach growing stronger when the same thing happened again.

'Alex?' I turned to see Stiles behind me. He'd followed me out, his expression worried.

'It's disconnected,' I said, my breathing shallow. 'I can't even get through to voicemail.' I didn't know what it meant. My initial instinct was that Derek was in danger. Grave danger. Maybe something had gone wrong with Cora. Maybe the hunters had got to them. But I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it was something else. That maybe Derek had disconnected his number on purpose. Had he left me?

The sudden buzzing of my phone startled me. I stared at the screen. I didn't recognise the number. I locked eyes with Stiles who shared my look of apprehension. I answered.

'Hello?'

 _'_ _Is this Alex?'_ the voice said. It was a woman's voice. One I didn't recognise. _'_ _Derek's Alex?'_ I blinked in shock.

'Who is this?' I asked tentatively.

 _'_ _It's Cora,'_ she replied. _'_ _Cora Hale.'_ My eyes widened.

'Oh my God, are you okay?' I questioned, suddenly relieved to hear the girl's voice. 'Are you safe?'

 _'_ _Yeah, I'm fine,'_ she said, her tone confused like she had no idea what I was talking about. _'_ _Derek gave me your number in case I couldn't get through to him. I've been calling for the last couple of days and his number's disconnected. Can I speak to him?'_

'Wait,' I said, the pit in my stomach growing deeper and deeper. 'Derek isn't with you?'

 _'_ _No,'_ she replied. _'_ _Why would he be with me?'_ I didn't understand. I couldn't. What was happening? I felt sick.

'I uh…' I was struggling to string a sentence together. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. Something was terribly wrong. 'When was the last time you spoke to him?'

 _'_ _I couple of months ago,'_ she told me, her voice deeply confused. She probably thought I was crazy.

'So you didn't send him a message saying hunter's were after you?' I asked, my voice so quiet I was glad I was talking to a werewolf. Otherwise, I don't think she would've heard.

 _'_ _What?'_ she questioned. _'_ _No, I've been covering my tracks like he told me too._ ' There was a beat of silence where neither of us said a word. _'_ _Look, I'm sorry, I have to go. Can you tell Derek to call me back?'_ I didn't reply and she quickly hung up. She sounded like she was in a rush. The world seemed to slow for a moment as my stomach sank to the ground.

She wasn't the one who left the message. Cora was fine. So where had Derek been all these weeks whilst I was in Beacon Hills? Was it some kind of prank? A sick joke? I felt my knees go week and I locked them in place, my body completely stiff as reality started to set in.

Someone had done this. Someone had lured him away from me for some reason. I couldn't breathe.

'I have to go,' I muttered as I took a step away from a bewildered Stiles. 'I have to get out of here.' And then I was running up the stairs to Stiles' room, my hands finding my leather jacket and the rest of my things. I knew he'd followed me up. I could see him hovering at the door out of the corner of my eye.

'Alex, what's going on?' he asked tentatively.

'I have to go,' I repeated. 'Derek's in danger, I have to find him.' Once I had everything packed into a duffle bag I threw it over my shoulder and headed for the door.

'Okay, slow down,' he said, pulling me away from the door so I couldn't leave. 'Tell me what's happening.'

'Derek's in danger, Stiles!' I yelled. 'I have to find him. Where's the bag of weapons?'

'In the back of my jeep,' he replied, his eyes wide as he tried to catch up on what I was saying.

'Okay,' I said, holding out my hand. 'Give me your keys,' I demanded. He frowned at me.

'What?'

'I don't have a car, Stiles. Give me your keys!' I barked at him. He shook his head at me, shooting me an incredulous look.

'No, you're not taking my jeep,' he said dismissively. 'And you're not just taking off.'

'Derek's in trouble,' I told him sternly, standing my ground. 'I have to find him. This is all my fault.'

'How is it your fault?'

'Because it's always my fault, Stiles!' I yelled. I could feel the tears behind my eyes, but they weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of anger, of grief, or frustration. They were tears of fear. 'I put people in danger. Don't you get that?' I could see his eyes start to water too, but he held them in. I could see his jaw tensing. Since when was I the one couldn't keep it together and he the one to be able to push his feelings down?

'Okay,' he said slowly. 'But you have to let us help you, Alex. We all want to help. Scott, Malia, Lydia. Argent?'

'No,' I dismissed, wiping the back of my hand across my eyes to clear them. 'I'm not involving them. Not until I know who's behind this.'

'Then let me come,' he suggested. I shook my head straight away. 'Come on, you can't go alone and you don't have a car.' I didn't want him to come, but I needed transportation. I couldn't easily steal the jeep from right under Stiles' nose. Not with a house full of supernatural creatures. They would all figure it out and try to stop me, especially now Stiles knew what I was up to.

'Fine,' I agreed. 'But we leave now and we tell no one.' I grabbed the box of my things and headed for the door.

'We can't just take off,' he protested. I shook my head at him.

'That's the deal, Stiles,' I reminded him 'Take it or leave it.' He huffed in annoyance as he pulled his keys from his pocket.

'Fine,' he replied as I reached to pull the keys out of his hand. He yanked them away before I could. 'But you're not driving my jeep.'

We snuck out of the front door without anyone noticing. I felt bad about bringing him with me and hoped his father would forgive me for it. I shoved the box onto the back seat and climbed into the jeep as Stiles slid into the driver's seat, gunning the engine.

'Why would someone do this?' he questioned, his hands squeezing the steering wheel. 'I mean, do you have any idea who…?' I glanced over at him, my terrified eyes telling him exactly what I was pretty sure he already suspected. 'Oh.' _Oh indeed._ It was _him._ And this time, I was sure of it. I'd been running for such a long time. I'd tried to be careful, but _he'd_ finally caught up. _He'd_ finally found me.

'Where are we going anyways?' Stiles asked as he pulled out of his driveway. I took a breath, thinking back to the life Derek and I had lived before I came back to Beacon Hills. That's where I'd seen my green-eyed wolf last before he'd been lured on a wild goose chase away from me. That's where I had to start.

'Oregon.'

* * *

 **AN: She's alive! But she didn't get much time to relax...**

 **What do you think has happened to Derek after all this time?**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It was so great to see what you thought :) Sorry if the last chapter was sad - I hope this one made up for it somewhat.**

 **Let me know what you thought, much love x**


	26. Chapter 25 - Into The Fire

**AN: So this is the last chapter :'( hope you guys like it.**

 **Just as a WARNING there is mention of suicide in this chapter and some other darker themes. This story is M rated!**

 **Its also quite long because it was gonna be 2 chapters and then I didn't wanna split it so yeah.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

Stiles and I didn't risk the elevator on the way up to my apartment. The number of times it had broken down in the few months Derek and I had lived in the building was ridiculous. It somehow felt colder than it had when Derek and I had been there before. I'd planned on checking out the apartment for any clues first before heading over to Marty's place to see if she'd heard anything. As I approached the door, I rummaged in my bag for the key I hoped I still had. If I couldn't find it, I'd just break it down. As I continued to search, however, Stiles bumped my arm with his hand before gesturing to the door and trying the handle. It swung open, already unlocked.

I pushed through, Stiles hot on my heels as we entered the dark apartment. The first thing that hit me was the mugginess of the air. It felt heavy and there was a hint of something vulgar in it. I reached for the light switch and flicked it on, the small LED bulb illuminating the room.

It appeared much the same and I went to work on trying to find any clues that could indicate Derek's whereabouts. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Stiles walking around nosily as he took in the apartment. It wasn't anything special. I'd always thought of it as a vastly smaller version of the loft.

'You got a key for this door?' I heard Stiles ask and looked over to see him rattling the door to the kitchen.

'We don't lock that door,' I said exasperatedly. It'd always seemed pointless having a door there anyway. I'd planned on having it removed if Derek and I'd stayed longer.

'I can't open it,' he said, shaking the handle again as if the emphasise his point. I frowned, walking over to the door and trying the handle myself. He was right. It wouldn't open. I tried it again. Still no luck. _Weird_.

'Well I don't have a key,' I told him, growing irritated. 'Crabby Paul never gave us one.'

'Crabby P-?'

'Never mind,' I said quickly, cutting him off. I grabbed the handle one more time and turned it sharply with as much force as I could. There was a snap and the entire piece of metal sheared off the wood. I huffed, feeling annoyed that I'd now shown Stiles my new-found strength. I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't turn to address him. 'I'll tell you later,' I mumbled, pushing the kitchen door open.

Blood.

It was spattered everywhere. It clung to the walls and seeped along the laminate flooring. I gasped at the grim scene. The muggy feeling was ten times worse than it had been in the main room. My eyes watered at the smell of death that pervaded the room. I held a hand to my mouth and felt Stiles step around me to see the reason why I'd stopped dead in the doorway.

'Oh my god,' he breathed and I subconsciously worried he'd collapse at the sight of the gory display.

The body lay face up on the ground, skin pale and yellowing, eyes wide and glossy. Limbs were bent at impossible angles from the awkward way they'd fallen. It was like something from my nightmares, only this was real. I was seeing it with my own eyes.

I stepped closer, gagging at the horrifying nature of what I was seeing. I guessed she must've been there for a few days, locked in the kitchen and out of sight by her murderer. She looked both shocked and frightened at the same time and I didn't want to imagine what was going through her head in her last few moments of life. In fact, the expression on her face was in such stark contrast to the expression she'd warn when she was alive that I almost didn't recognise her. But I would never mistake that hair for anyone else's. The cobalt hair that started off light at the roots and intensified as it grew. The vibrant locks that now looked a muddy purple due to the amount of blood that coated the strands.

It was Marty.

Cause of death wasn't hard to determine. If the bullet wound between her eyes didn't give it away then Argent's Glock that was clasped tightly in her cold, dead hand surely did. I'd given her that gun. Her blood was on my hands.

'Suicide?' It wasn't Stiles' fault that he was naïve, but my friend was dead. I was done being nice.

'Murder,' I corrected, my eyes still on her face. I couldn't look away even though to look caused me so much pain. 'Marty never would've…' I trailed off. Marty never would've killed herself. That's what I wanted to say. I just couldn't stomach it.

'You know her?' _Knew._ I didn't correct him this time.

'She lives across the hall.' This time it was me who'd made the mistake. 'She lived across the hall.' I was in shock, so much so that I flinched violently when Stiles put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I shot him an apologetic look.

'I need to uh…' I trailed off, looking around, unsure what to do. 'You should wait outside. You don't need to see all this.' He scoffed though not unkindly.

'Alex, this isn't exactly the first dead body-.'

'Just get out, Stiles!' I said harshly. His eyes widened at my outburst and he backed out slowly. I sent him an apologetic look. He was right. It wasn't the first dead body he'd scene. But that was the problem. To him, Marty was just a dead body. A clue. To me, she'd been a friend. Still, it wasn't his fault. I just needed a moment.

I bent down and prised the gun from her stiff fingers. _He'd_ meant it to look like this – like a suicide. To anyone else, that's exactly what it did look like. But to me, it was a message. A warning. A move in an elaborate game of cat and mouse _he'd_ constructed that only I would understand. I grabbed a tea towel from a draw and wrapped the weapon in it, though I doubted the Scavenger was stupid enough to leave fingerprints. Before I left, I leant over her, my fingers brushing over her eyelids to close them. It was the least I could do for her. It was me who'd gotten her killed. As I stood, however, my focus was brought to her other hand. It was fisted around something and I reached over to pull it from her hand.

It was a piece of paper crumpled into a tight ball. I opened it up, confusion taking over when I saw that it was a statement from Kansas state bank. But then I saw what was written across the numbers and figures, my stomach dropping to the floor.

 _He's next._

I knew instantly who he was talking about. _Derek._ Derek was next. I took a breath, turning over the paper to see something else written on the back.

 _Meet me where it all started._

I stood up, walking out of the kitchen to meet Stiles in the main room. I showed him the letter and he frowned at it.

'He's gonna kill him,' I breathed, unable to make my voice any louder. He looked back at me, worry filling his eyes. 'You got a light?' He nodded, pulling a small purple lighter from his pocket. I took it, grabbing the paper from his hands and setting the corner on fire.

'What are you doing?' he asked with a frown.

'You think this in the hands of anyone else is a good idea?' I asked incredulously. He agreed reluctantly and we watched the piece of paper burn into nothing by smoke and ash.

'Alex, I think we need to call the cops,' he said. I shot him a _no way in hell_ look _._

'If the cops show up now all they'll do is ask questions and fuck everything up,' I said harshly. 'I don't have time for that. _Derek_ doesn't have time for that.'

'I get that, Alex, but this guy is a serial killer,' he told me. 'A _supernatural_ serial killer. At least let me call my dad.'

'No,' I insisted. 'I told you my terms when I let you come with me, Stiles. We're not involving anyone else.'

'For god's sake, Alex, we can't handle this alone!' Stiles yelled. I could see him growing agitated with me. It was understandable. I was being reckless. 'I mean, you haven't even been alive for twenty-four hours and you've been different ever since you woke up.'

'No I haven't,' I protested. He shot me a look.

'Yes, you have!' he argued. 'This guy is getting to you, Alex. Not to mention you're insanely strong now. Where did that come from?'

'I don't know, okay,' I admitted. 'I feel like I'm on steroids or something.' He sighed, running a hand through his chocolate hair that was completely wild like he hadn't paid any attention to it in weeks.

'I think we should call Scott and the others,' he said. 'We should tell them what's happening and wait for them here.' I stared at him and something told me he wasn't going to conform to the rules I was setting anymore. He wasn't going to back down. I nodded.

'Okay,' I said.

'Okay?' he asked, as if he thought I was going to put up more of a fight. I nodded again.

'Okay.' He sighed with relief and got out his phone to make the call. 'Mind if I break the news?' I asked and he handed his phone over. I bit my lip as I unlocked it, wondering if I was making the right decision. After a moment, I concluded that I was. It was the right thing for everyone. So I smashed his phone against the floor, using the heel of my boot to make sure it was completely dead.

'Alex, what the-.'

'Sorry Stiles.' I cut him off before sending my fist into his temple.

* * *

'Hey?' I asked as I snapped my fingers in front of Stiles' face that was slowly regaining consciousness. I had meant to knock him out, but I hoped my new strength hadn't done anything more serious. 'You alright?' He blinked rapidly, his eyes squinting in the brightness of the bathroom.

'Ugh,' he groaned. 'Alex? What the hell?' I sighed in relief at the fact that he was able to form a coherent sentence.

'Sorry, you might have a concussion,' I said, examining the side of his head where my fist had collided with his skull. I was sure he'd end up with a tremendous black eye.

'You knocked me out,' he said with a frown as if he wasn't sure if it had actually happened. I stood, grabbing the can of ice tea I'd found in the fridge and pressing it to the side of his head. It was the only thing I could find in the fridge-freezer that would work like an ice pack. At least for a while.

'Can't have you following me,' I told him with a small smirk of victory, though I wasn't sure what I had to feel victorious about. Maybe that I'd managed to outsmart the smartest person I knew? Even that seemed too cruel.

'What?' he asked as I stood up. He tried to follow before realising he couldn't. His hand was handcuffed to the towel rail. 'Where are you going?'

'I've gotta find Derek,' I said. 'I've gotta finish this once and for all.'

'No way,' he told me, shaking his head. 'Not alone!' He was worried. Furious and worried.

'Yes, Stiles!' I yelled. 'Alone! Too many people have died, Stiles. Too many people have died because of me!' My eyes were watering and I tried to hold back the tears. Marty was the last straw. I needed to finish this. I needed it to be over. 'I can't let that happen anymore.'

'Look, Alex, let's just wait for Scott and the others,' Stiles pleaded. 'They can help. We'll do this together!' His offer sounded tempting, but I couldn't accept it.

'No,' I said, shaking my head. 'I have to go. Just me.' I turned to leave but Stiles called me back. His voice was desperate. He was so worried about what could happen.

'So, what? Are you just gonna leave me here?' he asked, gesturing to the bathroom we were both in.

'Pretty much,' I replied with a sarcastic smile. He glared back at me. I grabbed the bag I stocked up with the other things I found in the fridge. 'There's food and water in that rucksack,' I said. 'You should be fine for a while.'

'Well that's perfect, thanks,' he said sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes at him.

'Just be glad you're in the bathroom in case you have to pee,' I said, much to his annoyance. He jiggled the handcuffs, sending me an incredulous look.

'Right,' I said, realising the floor in my plan. 'I guess you'll just have to hold it.'

'Alex, this is ridiculous!' he yelled at me in protest. 'You can't go after Derek alone. You don't even have a car!' I bit my lip as I fumbled in my jacket pocket for what I was looking for. His eyes widened at the sight of his own car keys handing from my fingertips.

'I have the jeep.'

'Alex, I swear to god…'

'You're mad,' I pointed out, grabbing my things and turning to leave again. 'It's good that you're mad at me. It'll make this easier.'

'What?' Stiles asked, his voice suddenly more serious and terrified. 'Make what easier?' I didn't reply. 'Alex, what are you gonna do?'

'I'll call your dad when I'm outta the state,' I said flippantly, ignoring his question. 'He'll come pick you up.'

'Alex!' he shouted as I stepped out of the bathroom.

'Bye Stiles,' I mumbled under my breath as I shut the door.

'Alex, wait!' But I was already gone. I pushed the dresser across the door to give it an extra level of reinforcement. Furthermore, if the cops did show up unexpectedly before the Sheriff, it would look like someone locked him in there and he wouldn't seem like a suspect for Marty's murder.

On my way out, I dropped Argent's Glock into the dustbin, hoping that the small act of removing the weapon would make it clear that her death wasn't a suicide. She deserved better than that.

* * *

The derelict building was a shell of what I imagined it looked like before. It had been completely gutted by the fire that occurred there almost twenty years ago. I was surprised it was still standing. I would've thought the university would've wanted to knock it down and rebuild, but I guessed maybe they'd found other funding to build the new science building somewhere else.

The drive to Kansas was long and I was glad that my ability meant I only needed to stop for gas. Luckily the jeep hadn't crapped out like I'd expected. It'd been a day since I'd left Stiles in my apartment in Oregon. The conversation I'd had with his father had been brief and I'd basically just hung up on him before he could start to panic and yell. Then I'd turned my phone off so no one could get hold of me.

As the monstrous concrete building loomed over me, I knew I was in the right place. _Meet me where it all started_. That's what the note had said. I couldn't think of any other place that would mean. This was the place I'd been created. This was where my parents died. This is where I'd been thought dead.

The gate surrounding the construction was bolted with a thick chain and padlock. Signs were scattered everywhere warning against entering since the building wasn't safe. I ignored them, pulling at the padlock until the metal snapped in my hand. Stiles was right. I was insanely strong now. Although I didn't know the reasons why, I was glad that maybe I'd be a better match for whatever beast I met within the concrete walls.

I entered through a giant whole in the back of the building where the walls were being strangled by ivy trails. I clutched my Glock in my hand as I manoeuvred through the rubble. The night was closing in, casting long shadows across the room. I could see stairs up ahead, but they were crumbling and half of the basic structure of them was gone. I approached slowly, flicking on a flashlight I'd found in Stiles' glove compartment.

It was tricky getting up to the first floor. I twisted my ankle several times and ended up ripping Malia's ripped jeans even more. This floor was worse than the other. I had to be extra careful not to fall through a gaping hole in the ground floor ceiling. I scanned the area with the flashlight that was braced over the gun. The walls were black with soot. _How many people had James said died in the fire? Forty? Fifty?_

There was a soft groan from behind me and I turned around, ready to fire at the enemy. I could hardly see, but as I squinted through the darkness, I could see a figure on the ground propped up against the wall.

"Derek?" I whispered, unsure whether my eyes were deceiving me. I ran to him, my feet not carrying me fast enough as I sped towards him, dropping the flashlight and Glock on the floor next to him as I collapsed on the floor. "Oh my god," I breathed as my hands made contact with his face. His skin was ashen and clammy, his lips stained with something dark. But it was him. This time, it was really him.

"Alex?" he breathed, his chest heaving.

"Yes-yeah, it's me," I said, both of my hands cupping his face as I pressed my forehead to his. "I found you." My voice was so quiet as I whispered to him, my eyes watering. I'd missed him so much. "I found you," I told him, brushing a hand through his dark hair. He smiled weakly, his dull eyes lighting up for a second. He looked so weak. So tired. My hands ran across his chest, looking for an injury. I couldn't see one.

"Alex," he breathed, one of his hands grabbing mine to stop my frantic search. "You have to get out of here." I shook my head at him.

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised him as a tear slipped down my cheek. "I'm not gonna leave again. Not ever." I continued my search, gently pulling his head forwards to see if I'd missed a head injury. And then I saw it: the fat needle in his forearm. I followed the tube to see that it connected to an IV bag. "What is this?" I asked, turning it to the side to try and identify the gloopy substance that was circulating into my wolf's blood stream.

"It's wolf's bane," he said, and I gasped, ripping the needle from his arm. He winced.

"Sorry," I said, pressing my hand to the small puncture wound that was leaking blood. Black blood. I tried not to panic, but I knew what it meant. He'd been poisoned by something designed to kill werewolves. I needed to get him to Deaton as fast as possible. "Can you stand?" I asked, my eyes gliding back to his face. The disgusting black substance had started to seep from between his lips and I wiped it away from his chin. "Come on, we need to get you outta here."

"You're not going anywhere." The voice that came from the shadows had me spun around with my Glock in my hand in less than a second, my stance defensive as I protected the powerless man behind me.

"Who's there?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. The hand holding the gun was shaking erratically.

"I think you know, Alexia," the voice said, causing my blood to run cold.

"Show yourself," I demanded. The hooded figure stepped out of the shadows, his face masked by the darkness surrounding him. He was as I remembered. If it was possible, he was more intimidating. More terrifying. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want," he replied darkly. His voice made me sick. It was grating. Deranged. _Familiar._ "Why don't you put the gun down and we'll have a civilised conversation."

"I'd prefer not to," I replied, trying to sound confident as he took a step towards me. He took another step and I fired the gun, the bullet landing in his chest. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen. Although I'd hoped he'd just drop down dead, I somehow knew it wouldn't be that easy. His hand went to his chest and a few moments later he'd fished the bullet out of his flesh and discarded it on the floor. "You can already heal pretty well," I said as if impressed. "What do you need me for?"

"I want immortality," he said, taking yet another step forward. I didn't fire the gun again, worried it might piss him off. This guy was dangerous. He'd killed countless numbers of people. He'd killed Marty.

"Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be," I warned him lightly, hoping to by myself more time to figure out a way to get Derek out alive. He was my priority. I didn't care what happened to me as long as he was safe. "How'd you find us anyway?" The question had baffled me. I'd spent time in Beacon Hills with so many other supernaturals that I thought it would've been the first place he'd search for me. But as soon as I'd left and moved to Oregon, he'd discovered my whereabouts. "How'd you get Derek?"

"Ah yes," he said, chuckling to himself. The sound made bile rise in my throat. "That wild goose chase I sent him on was fun to spectate," he mused to himself. "It's a shame I'm going to have to kill him when all this is over."

"You're not gonna touch him," I seethed. "How'd you find us?"

"Well after I missed my opportunity a few years ago, I realised I needed to up my game," he said. "But really, it was your mistake that lead me to finding you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, replaying my actions of the last few months to try and figure out where I'd slipped up.

"That little trip you took to Seattle?" he reminded me. I frowned. "You payed my nephew a visit." My blood ran cold as I stared back to him, my blood pressure picking up substantially.

"Your nephew?" I whispered. "Oh my god, you're Dylan's Uncle," I gasped. "You're-."

"The one who created you." He stepped forward and raised his head so that his face was illuminated by the moonlight that steamed through the holes in the ceiling. I could see the family resemblance. I could see Dylan in his features. It baffled me how someone so evil could be related to someone so caring and kind.

"How…?" It was all I could say. Of all the people I expected, he was certainly not one of them.

"I survived the fire," he said.

"But-but you're a hunter," I said. "Why would you want supernatural abilities?"

"Power, Alexia," he said darkly. "It's all about power."

"James said you wanted to create a new breed of hunters," I said as I backed up away from him. "He said you wanted to create hunters who were stronger. Faster. More skilled. He said you were doing it for your daughter."

"I lied!" he spat. "I wasn't trying to create a new breed of hunters. I was creating a new breed of me!"

"You're insane," I said, shaking my head at him.

"And it almost worked," he said. "I found a way to be able to absorb other people's power. When you were born, I was supposed to take yours. But then that idiot figured out what I was doing and didn't know how to keep his mouth shut."

"But you can't take power," I said. "You're not a Siphoner. You're a Scavenger," I spat. "You can only take parts. Not the whole thing. I saw it when you killed that alpha. His eyes stayed red. He didn't lose anything." He looked angered by what I'd said and a smirk pulled at the corners of my mouth. "You're nothing but a copycat." He lunged for me, but I stepped out of the way, pulling the syringe from my jeans where I'd been concealing it the whole time. "You come any closer and I'll inject myself with this."

"What is it?" he asked, smirking at me as if he didn't believe it was anything to be afraid of.

"It's a cure for my ability," I said, holding the needle close to my side threateningly. "It worked pretty well a few weeks ago with less than half. Imagine what damage it could do with the whole thing."

"You're bluffing," he said, shaking his head at me. "Where would you even get something like that?"

"It was a present from your friends, the Dread Doctors," I said. That caught his attention. He snarled at me, stepping forward to try and grab me and I stuck the needle into my side.

"Wait, stop!" he yelled, holding up his hands defensively. I didn't press the plunger, but kept the needle buried in my skin.

"Let Derek go and I might reconsider," I bargained.

"Sacrificing yourself for the werewolf?" he said with a snort. "Your parents would be so disappointed."

"I'm not the one who's killed countless numbers of innocent people!" I yelled back at him.

"Innocent?" He scoffed. "They were all animals. All supernatural creatures. I hunted every one of them with my bare hands." I shook my head, my eyes filling with tears.

"They weren't all supernatural," I said through gritted teeth as the image of Marty lying dead on my kitchen floor filled my mind. "You murdered an innocent girl." I was shaking. Shaking with anger. Shaking with grief. "You're a hunter, you're supposed to protect people like her from the supernatural. Not become it!"

"The blue haired girl was a means to an end," he said uncaringly. "You can't expect to get what you want in this world without some collateral damage."

"You've taken everything from me!" I yelled, pressing the needle further into my side. "My parents! My friends!" I shook my head, my finger braced on the plunger. "You're not taking him from me. Let Derek go." He hesitated and I forced the needle further inside of me. "Now!"

"Fine!" he yelled, his eyes remaining panicked until I'd removed the needle from my skin. He stepped back and I turned around, dropping to the ground beside my green-eyed wolf. He looked even worse, his skin so pale it was almost white.

"Come on, you need to get out of here," I said, placing the syringe on the floor so I could use both hands to help him up.

"No." He shook his head, his breathing laboured as he refused to stand. "I'm not leaving you, Alex. Not with _him._ " I shook my head, tears forming in my eyes.

"It's okay," I assured him, my eyes glancing to the syringe that lay beside me. "I have a plan. He's not gonna get my ability." He frowned at me, his glazed eyes growing concerned.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked worriedly, his words mimicking what Stiles had asked before I'd left. His hand was squeezing mine so tightly but I couldn't meet his eyes as I replied.

"What I have to do," I told him. His frown deepened and I ran my fingers through his raven hair, savouring every inch of him. It would be the last chance I ever had. "I love you so much," I whispered, tears rolling down my face.

"Alex," he breathed, his lips twitching up in a small smile as he comforted me. "I'm sorry." I didn't see his fingers curl around the syringe, but I did hear the shattering of glass that followed as he smashed the syringe against the ground, the contents spilling out onto the concrete.

"No, no, no," I repeated as I stared at the liquid. Panic ran through my veins as my breathing rate doubled. "No, Derek. Why'd you do that? That was the only thing stopping him from killing you." My cheeks were stained with tears and I let them fall. He brought a hand up to my face to wipe them away.

"And it was the only thing stopping you from making it out of here alive," he told me. "I don't care about anything else," he whispered, pulling me towards him and pressing his lips to my forehead as I squeezed my eyes shut, stifling a sob. " _You_ have to survive."

"But if he gets my ability, there's no stopping him," I said. I needed help. Stiles was right. I couldn't do it alone. Derek was going to die and it was all my fault. If I wasn't so stubborn, I might've been able to save him.

"You can stop him," he said sincerely. "I know you can. You're the strongest person I've ever met."

"Enough with the games," a voice said behind me before I was yanked backwards by my hair away from the man I loved. "You've lost your leverage," he whispered darkly as he pressed his lips to my ear. "Now I want what's mine." He threw me down on the ground and I watched in horror as fangs grew from his jaw and talons protruded from his fingertips. His eyes glowed a fiery red as he stared down at me. I back up as he advanced forward, trying to get away from him. He grabbed my hair again and yanked me up so I was standing before squeezing up throat with one of his hands.

I screamed as I felt his claws dig into my neck, the pain along with the blocked windpipe causing my eyes to water even more than they already were. I had to fight for as long as possible. I couldn't let him get my ability. He threw me down again and this time I slip across the concrete, my head smacking against the wall. I felt my skull crack and my vision blur, blood dripping down my forehead. A moment later, the pain was gone and I got back up again, running towards him and landing my own punch to his ribs.

He fell backwards, my new-found strength able to match his somewhat. I went to punch him again, but he caught my wrist and twisted my arm around until I heard it snap. The pain caused me to scream again. I was pretty sure my wrist was broken, along with a dislocated shoulder. I held my arm to my chest as I felt the bones in my hand repair themselves before I pulled sharply on it to pop the shoulder back into its socket.

"I must say, your ability is remarkable," he told me as I prepared myself to fight him again. "But you forget that I don't just have the abilities of a werewolf." I gasped as his fangs grew and elongated into knifelike teeth that were razor sharp. "I am a wendigo, a coyote, a kitsune and so many more." He lunged for me, his claws tearing through my flesh and leaving deep wounds across my stomach. They stung and I realised they must contain some kind of venom that meant they took longer to heal. Even so, as I regained my balance, I could feel the skin knitting itself back together.

"Give it to me, Alexia," he coaxed, stabbing me with his claws again.

"No!" I yelled back. His claws dug deeper and I cried out in pain. I could hear Derek trying to talk to me but he seemed far away. All I could focus on was the feeling of his sharp talons tearing into my peritoneal cavity.

"Give it to me!" I whimpered, shoving him away from me with all the strength I could muster. He stumbled back several metres and I regained my composure.

Suddenly I heard a gunshot and I ducked down just as Argent appeared at the concrete steps. I stared at him, suddenly concerned for his safety in the presence of the Scavenger who could easily rip him to shreds. He unloaded a clip into him, but it didn't slow him down as he approached the hunter.

"Chris Argent," he greeted like they were old friends, which, I supposed, they were. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," Argent replied, jamming the butt of his shotgun into the Scavenger's head before he was thrown to the ground. I gasped, watching as the hunter's body slammed against the wall and crumpled to the ground.

Then there was a deep growl and I turned back to the dilapidated stairwell to see none other than Scott and Malia running forwards to attack. I spark of hope ignited in my chest, only to me extinguished when the coyote received a large gash in her leg and fell to the floor. I ran to help her up and pulled her away from where Scott and the Scavenger were fighting.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her frantically, terrified of what might happen.

"You didn't seriously think we'd let you take on this psycho alone, did you?" she asked and I smiled at her before turning back to the action, her eyes turning blue. Scott was putting up a good fight but eventually was thrown down as well after the Scavenger broke his leg. I winced at the sound of it cracking before Malia and I tied to fight him again. But he was too strong. It was like fighting a hundred supernatural creatures all at once. He was too quick. Too agile. His claws were too sharp. After a few minutes, he'd tossed Malia aside like a rag doll, her body falling lips next to Scott.

"Any more of your little friends want to give it a try?" he asked as he turned towards me. I was frozen, catching sight of one more person standing right behind the Scavenger. I winced as Stiles swung his baseball bat at his head, the Scavenger barely flinching.

"Holy crap," Stiles said, his eyes wide as a hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground.

"Stop!" I yelled as the teen gasped for air. "Please, stop!"

"Are you going to give me what I want?" I didn't know how to answer as he turned to face me, his fingers tightening around Stiles' throat before he threw him to the ground. He coughed and panted as he tried to catch his breath. "Or are you going to watch your friends die one by one."

"Okay," I said, nodding my head. "I'll give it to you. I'll give you whatever you want. Just let them go." He smiled at me evilly as he stepped forward.

"No, Alex," I heard Scott say but I didn't listen. I had to save them. I couldn't let any more people die. I knew what he had to do to get my ability and I knew it would hurt. I'd seen him do it before.

"Thank you," he whispered once we were face to face before he buried his hand in my chest. I gasped, the pain worse than anything I'd experienced before. I could feel each rib as it snapped before his hand grabbed onto my heart. I dropped to my knees, unable to breath as I felt a strange buzzing sensation erupt inside my chest cavity. It grew in intensity and I looked down to see a soft glow travelling from inside my chest up the Scavenger's arm. He released me and I collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. He didn't seem to notice as I sat up, pressing a hand to my chest to see that it had already begun to heal, although my shirt was coated in a thick layer of blood. I looked up at him to see he was staring at his hand, the light slowly moving towards his shoulder and down to his chest. I could see the power in his eyes and the strength he felt from gaining my ability.

I looked around the room to see that everyone was staring at him in same way I was. We were all transfixed on the sight. It was like nothing they'd ever seen before. I caught Stiles eye and he sent me a look. I frowned at him until he pulled out something from inside his jacket. My eyes widened as he nodded towards the Scavenger before sliding the item along the concrete towards me.

I stood up just as the light reached his chest and faded away, the knife clasped tightly in my fist. He was completely in awe of what he had just gained and was buzzing with power.

"Come with me," he said, his deranged eyes elated and completely serious. "Think of what we could accomplish together. We'd be invincible." I stared back at him, completely surprised by his offer. "We could teach each other so much." He held out a hand to me and I took it.

"You wanna know what I've learnt from my twenty years of immortality?" I questioned, pulling him in towards me so that my lips were centre meters from his ear. "No one's really immortal." I pulled back, taking him by surprise as I jammed the knife into the base of his skull. He gave a sickening gargle before his body went limp and he fell to the ground.

I stared at him on the ground, his eyes glazed. Dead. He wasn't entirely, but as long as that knife stayed in, he wouldn't wake up. I couldn't stop myself as I fell to my knees in front of him, feeling like the greatest weight had been lifted off my shoulders. My eyes filled with tears that I didn't understand. He was the man who created me. He was the man who destroyed so many things I cared about.

It was over.

I couldn't believe it. I'd come into the fight fully expecting not to make it out. But I was okay. My friends were okay. I turned around, not finding the strength to be able to stand as I crawled towards Derek. He'd grown even weaker and I squeezed his hand.

"Hey," I whispered, pulling his arm around my waist as I pressed into his side. He smiled weakly at me and despite the black blood that had gathered at his lips, I kissed him gently, my hands on his cheeks as I pressed my forehead to his. "You need help," I said, pulling his arm over my shoulder as I stood up, pulling him with me. I realised then that I'd lost my strength, though my healed chest still meant that I had my ability. He faltered a little as I helped him to his feet and Scott emerged on his other side to help me.

"Scott," Derek greeted weekly. The teen wolf smiled at the sound of the older wolf's voice, indicating that he wasn't about to pass out.

"I got him," Scott told me as I felt Derek's weight shift from my shoulder. "Deaton should be here by now." I didn't let go of his waist until Scott sent me a look, telling me he'd make sure Derek was okay. I didn't want to leave his side, but I trusted the teen beyond question and reluctantly let go of his hand.

I looked up, catching sight of Argent, Stiles and Malia who were all gathered around the body on the ground, staring at him. He looked dead, but I knew if we were to remove the blade from is neck he'd come back straight away.

"What do we do with him?" Stiles asked as we all stared.

"I can take care of it," Argent said. I cast a look over the two humans for any sign of serious injury and relaxed when I saw none. Malia didn't seem to be badly hurt either. "We should get out of here before the whole place comes down." I nodded, heading towards the stairwell.

"Hey Stiles," I called to him. He looked up, catching my apologetic gaze. "I don't-."

"Don't worry about it," he cut me off. I felt guilty for what I'd done to him. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it up. "I get it." His words were sincere and my internal panic subsided, although the event of the evening still meant my nerves were severely wracked.

"Stiles?" The teen turned towards me. I smirk at him, pulling his keys from my pocket and tossing them in his direction and he caught them with a smile.

* * *

I was surprised to see Lydia outside when we made it out into the cold night air. She hugged me tightly and I found I couldn't hold back my tears. She seemed to squeeze them out of me and then spend the next few moments chastising me for not wearing waterproof mascara as she wiped the black streaks from my cheeks.

The Sheriff was there too, though didn't seem as pissed off as I'd expected. He spent most of the time conversing with Argent regarding removing the body from the derelict building, but I did catch his eyes at one point and he sent me reassuring smile.

Deaton couldn't identify the wolf's bane that the Scavenger had used on Derek. He had to burn it out of him using a blow torch. It was hard to watch as Derek writhed in pain in the backseat of Argent's car, but I stayed with him, holding his hand the entire time and running a hand through his hair. He seemed healthy afterwards but Deaton told him he would need to rest for a few days. I would make sure he did.

I left him sleeping across the back seat as I slid out of the car, meeting the group of teenagers beside Stiles' jeep. Kira wasn't there and I knew from Stiles that she'd gone back with the Skin walkers after they'd helped defeat Theo and the beast. Scott noticed me first and wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug. I laughed into his chest, suddenly feeling incredibly emotional about the night's events. They'd come. They'd risked their lives to help me. They'd helped sort out a mess that was completely mine. I felt someone else wrap their arms around my shoulders and before I knew it, all four of them were enveloping me and a hug.

"Can't breathe," I squeaked out, but they held on for another moment before letting go. I couldn't believe the difference from when I'd first arrived in Beacon Hills all those months ago. I'd gone from being a person none of them trusted to a person they'd risk their lives to help. More importantly, they'd become people I could trust, when before, I'd never trusted anyone other than myself. The change I felt within me was hard to explain, but I did feel different. Definitely different. And it was in a good way.

"Let's go home," Stiles said as he released a gigantic yawn. It was understandable. They'd all been up for a ludicrous number of hours. They all said goodbye as they climbed into the jeep and I assured them I'd see them all when we arrived back in Beacon Hills. I smiled at Stiles' words, and as I clambered into the backseat of Argent's car beside my exhausted green-eyed wolf, surrounded by my friends, the man I loved and everyone I considered family, I realised I already was home.

* * *

 **AN: So that's the end! Just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who's read/followed/favourited/reviewed this story and also Deadpool! Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing :)**

 **Would love to hear any thoughts you guys have on this chapter and the story as a whole :)**

 **Also, like in Deadpool, there's gonna be a epilogue so actually its not quite the end... but this might not be up for a few weeks so be on the look out.**

 **Anyways, let me know what you thought, much love x**


	27. Epilogue - Like A Small Boat

**AN: So this is the Epilogue and final instalment of this little series. Please could you have a read of the AN at the end of this chapter, thanks!**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

It all started with a list. A Deadpool. Almost a year ago, I'd hoped that in coming to Beacon Hills, I'd find what I was looking for. What I hadn't realised, however, was that I'd been looking for the wrong thing.

It wasn't the answers about my ability that gave me what I really needed. It was the people who I'd encountered who'd become ingrained in my heart, chiselled within me like ornate marble. It was Malia: the coyote who'd had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me to get a grip. It was Parrish: the young deputy that I'd never quite been sure of, though I was sure he'd always be there if I needed him. It was Lydia Martin: the girl who'd forced me to realise that I was allowed to be happy. It was Stiles Stilinski. I was convinced I'd never meet another person who could simultaneously be terrified of me and be my best friend. It was Scott McCall, the teen wolf, the epitome of goodness crammed inside an eighteen-year-old.

It was Derek Hale: the man I'd allowed myself to love and the man I'd allowed to love me back. We fit together like pieces of a puzzle and even after all the time we spent apart, we were still drawn to each other like magnets.

Once we were back in Beacon Hills, it took all I had to keep Derek in bed until he was fully recovered. Getting him into bed wasn't usually an issue for me, but he was supposed to be _resting_. He let me mother him for two days before he insisted he was fine. I figured that was as good as it was going to get. On the third day, I let him leave the loft. He came back with a new car. At first, I was mad, but then he gave me the keys and let me go for a test drive. She was beautiful.

On the fourth day, I received a letter.

I didn't recognise the handwriting on the envelope. I took a breath before pulling out the piece of paper within and began reading, my heart beating erratically in my chest.

 _Alex,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well._

 _I regret the way we left things when you visited me in Seattle earlier this year. You must know that I don't resent you for it. Understand that our meeting, although it came as a surprise, filled in as many blanks for me as it did you._

 _My daughter, Eliza, asked me about you today. She refers to you as "the girl with the voices". I'm not sure if she knows the significance of what she hears, but she'll learn. One day I'll tell her of the extraordinary baby I had the honour of meeting when I was only a teenager._

 _I must apologise on behalf of my family. The past five generations have all been protectors of the mortal world, but the line will end with me. I will not raise my daughter with the same engrained hatred for the supernatural world that my uncle tried to instil in Dylan and I. Every day the line between hunters and the creatures they hunt grows thinner and thinner. I myself haven't recognised the existence of that line for many years. I doubt you have either. I believe wholeheartedly that this is the right thing. Even so, my family has failed you. This failure stems back long before you were born when my uncle's plan was set into motion. It is only recently that this plan was put a stop to. I only have you to thank for that._

 _I'm sorry for any part I played in the months leading up to your parents' death. I can only imagine what it was like for you growing up without knowing where you came from, and I regret deeply that your parents couldn't be a part of your life. I see so much of them in you, and not just in the resemblance you bare to both of them. You have their strength and courage. They would be proud to call you their daughter as I know Dylan would too._

 _Whatever path you take in the future, I wish you the best. Know that the knowledge of your existence will remain a secret as long as you chose to keep it. I will carry it with me to the grave._

 _James._

I stared at it for a long time, reading the jagged strokes of ink over and over until I folded it up carefully and tucked it inside my pocket.

By the time the week was up, Argent had hooked me up with a whole new identity, including a passport, much to Derek's delight. I was now officially Alex Mitchell: twenty something year old with a social security number that was actually _real._ It felt like my birthday when I received the envelope containing all the official documents, including a birth certificate. Birthplace: Beacon Hills, _of course_. Argent delivered it to the loft himself, a second envelope placed conspicuously under his arm. He handed them both over with one of his severe looks I was sure he saved for me.

"What is this?" I asked as I flicked through the sheets of paper. "Another assignment?" I said it with a small laugh to mask the seriousness in my voice. He cracked a small smile.

"No." I frowned. "It's a contract." I arched a brow at him, pulling out the top sheet to see that he was absolutely right. But when was he ever wrong? "Something to think about."

"You want me to work for you?" I asked sceptically, now both brows raised. Derek was out. If he had been at the loft I was sure he'd have been eaves dropping on the conversation. Something told me Argent knew he wouldn't be around before he stopped by. "I can't," I said as I began shaking my head, handing the papers back to him, but he stilled my hands.

"You don't have to decide right away," he told me, his eyes considering me carefully. "Sleep on it." My lip twitched up in amusement at that. I had, in fact, been sleeping more than usual ever since we got back to Beacon Hills. It must've been something to do with the fact that my nightmares had subsided considerably. I hadn't had one since defeating the Scavenger.

Despite him urging me to think about it, I contemplated just handing the envelope back to him, but something stopped me. I wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps it was the fact that my future was completely unknown. Perhaps it was because I knew, at heart, I was a hunter, and I always would be. Perhaps I just liked the idea of making concrete plans.

He hugged me before he left. The contact was comfortable and he paused a moment before releasing me. The way he held me made me feel like a child. A daughter.

I read over the contract at least ten times before I finally put it down. It seemed like a straight forward enough decision. I either accepted it or I didn't. But it was so much more complex than that. My issue was that I hadn't given much thought to what I would do once the Scavenger was dead, and that terrified me.

* * *

A few days later I found myself on Scott McCall's door step. I hadn't mentioned the contract to Derek yet, but I would before the week was up. I was done keeping secrets from him, but somehow, I found myself needing to seek the advice from my friend before I decided what I was going to do about it. The teen wolf opened the door, a surprised smile on his face when he saw it was me.

"Are you going out?" I asked, eyeing the jacket he was pulling around his shoulders.

"I've gotta be at the animal clinic at five," he said. I took a step away from the door, ready to head back to the loft.

"I can come back later…" I told him, but he shook his head.

"No, it's okay," he said. I think he sensed that there was something on my mind. Scott had a unique intuition when it came to that sort of thing. "What's up?" He let me in and within a few moments I found myself word vomiting everything that was on my mind, though I didn't mention the contract.

"I guess I've just spent so long running, I never gave any thought to what I'd do when I stopped," I told him as I sat on the couch next to him. He smiled at my seemingly lost expression, reminding me of that calm and supportive aura he had.

"Take some time," he suggested. "Maybe you'll figure it out." Coming from anyone else, the advice probably would've annoyed me. But Scott McCall was wise beyond his years. I'd listen to him.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked after a moment, tired of discussing my own future and eager to learn about his.

"Finish high school," he said blandly. "Go to college." I smiled small at the thought of him and Stiles in college. He was growing up into a respectable young man. I'd have to stop calling him teen wolf.

"Werewolves live longer than humans, right?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, according to Deaton," he clarified. "What about you? How long do you think you'll live?" I sighed at his question. It was one I wanted to know the answer to myself, but it wasn't an answer anyone could give me.

"At the moment, I'm going for indefinitely," I told him. He nodded. "But I'm open to opinions," I added, causing him to chuckle.

"So, I guess you've got a long time to make a decision on what you're gonna do with the rest of your life," Scott said. I scoffed. I didn't feel like I had a long time to decide anything.

"For starters, I should probably go talk to a guidance counsellor or something," I replied, cringing at the thought. Scott laughed at that.

"You don't need a guidance counsellor, Alex," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "You'd just do the opposite of what they said anyway."

"Yeah, you're probably right." There was a pause and I leant back into the couch, sinking into the soft pillows. "You got any ideas?" He rolled his eyes at me. It was almost embarrassing how much I seemed to rely on his for advice these days.

"College?" he suggested. I grimaced.

"I did not go through all that crap just so I'd have an opportunity to take the SATs," I told him with a stern look, causing him to laugh.

"Get a job?" was his next suggested. My mind wondered to the contract. I supposed getting a job and earning an honest living wasn't all that bad, but I doubted the job argent wanted to give me could be seen as honest. "Have kids and move to the suburbs?" I scoffed at that.

"Oh yeah, I can see it now," I said, picturing the nauseating scene in my mind. "Me and Derek, the epitome of domesticated bliss as he mows lawn and I touch up the paint on our white picket fence." The sarcasm and distaste in my voice was blatantly obvious. Scott smiled a little before shaking his head again.

"Yeah, maybe not."

"And kids?" I asked incredulously. "Could you imagine the disaster it would be if I was responsible for a child?" Another smile broke out across his lips at my words, only this time, it wasn't in amusement.

"I don't think it would be a disaster," he said quietly. "I think anybody would be lucky to have you as a mom." I was surprised by his words. Even more, I was surprised at how they affected me. I felt myself having to suppress a smile.

"Well, I guess we'll see." He hummed in response and we fell into a comfortable silence. _He thought I would make a good mother? Where did that come from?_ Having kids wasn't something I'd ever considered, at least not in the near future. I could barely take care of myself. But maybe one day… "Right," I said suddenly, cutting off my own thoughts and standing up. "I gotta get back to my man and you've gotta be at the animal clinic in..." I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the time. "Now." I groaned. "Crap, I made you late." Scott simply laughed, standing up and checking his own phone.

"Don't worry about it," he insisted as we both made our way to the front door.

"See you around, teen wolf," I said, pulling him into a quick hug before turning to leave.

"Hey Alex?" I turned back from the drive to see him squinting at me through the sun behind me. "I'm glad he found you." I grinned at him, something warm growing in my chest. "We can all see how happy you make each other." With one last look of gratitude, I slid into the new driver's seat and gunned the engine, ready to get back to the loft. Ready to get back to my green-eyed wolf.

* * *

He kissed me roughly, his hands on my waist as he pulled me closer, our bodies pressed together. I leaned in further, his right hand moving to my bare thigh that straddled his lap as we sat on the couch. Over the last few weeks, we hadn't been able to keep our hands off each other. It was like we were making up for all the lost time, not that I minded. Derek seemed to now live in sweatpants, which I couldn't help but smile at. I couldn't really talk. Whenever I was at the loft, I spent most of the time in my underwear with one of his far too large t-shirts hanging off my body like a dress.

He moved his hands further up my legs and around my waist again, shifting me so that I was lying on the couch beneath him. We were so close, his lips moving perfectly against mine. Derek was completely perfect. Not only was he protective, caring and loyal, but _god_ he was hot. I could stare at him all day, which, luckily for me, I usually did. He seemed to always know exactly what I needed and from the way his teeth grazed against my bottom lip as we made out on the couch, he seemed to know _exactly_ what I needed.

I closed my eyes, pulling him harder against me as my fingers pressed into his back. Although I didn't want to, I suddenly found my mind wandering to the conversation I'd had with Scott earlier that day. I'd been thinking about it constantly, my mind running over and over different options of how I wanted my life to play out. Our lives. It was tricky. There were so many things I wanted to do. But how could I prioritise? Did I need to make a bucket list?

"Derek?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled as he began trailing his lips along my jawline, heading towards my neck. He had one hand on the arm of the couch to hold himself up whilst the other touched the skin under his t-shirt I was wearing, moving agonisingly slowly up my body.

"I think we should do something," I said, biting my lip at the glorious feeling of his stubble against my soft skin. "Something fun." I felt his lips twitch up in amusement on my neck as he continued to kiss it.

"What we're doing right now is pretty fun," he pointed out, his warm breath caressing my skin sending shivers down my spine. He moved his hand to my back and pulled me even closer and I arched into him. I sighed, silently agreeing with him and wanting nothing more than to let him continue doing whatever it was that made me feel so good. But I couldn't. This was important and it couldn't wait.

"No, I mean we should go somewhere," I corrected myself. He paused his movements for a moment before planting a kiss on my lips.

"You wanna take a trip?" he asked, raising a brow at me before leaning in to kiss me again.

"More like... extended vacation," I said, cringing a little at myself.

"Sounds great," he replied absentmindedly, his lips moving back to my neck as his hand moved down to my thigh and squeezed, his fingertips pressing softly into the skin. I internally chastised myself at my awful timing. I should've known better than to bring up something important when we were about to have sex. I contemplated just letting it go, but so many things were in my mind that I couldn't really enjoy it. I rolled my eyes at myself. It would be impossible _not_ to enjoy it, but that wasn't the point. I needed to get his attention back otherwise my internal monologue would cause my head to explode.

"Hey Derek?" I said softly, running my hand over one if his broad shoulders. He hummed in acknowledgement, using his hips to push me further into the couch. "You ever thought about having kids?" He stopped immediately and I could feel his muscles tense beneath his shirt. That had got his attention.

"Okay," he sighed, sitting back and pulling me onto his lap again, his thumps rubbing circles on my knees. "What's the matter?" The fact that he knew me so well made the corners of my mouth twitch up in a smile and I leaned in, trailing my hands down either side of his face as I pressed my forehead against his affectionately. "Hey," he said softly, interlacing his fingers with mine and pulling my hands away from his face. "What's wrong?" The concern in his emerald eyes made me want to do it again.

"It's just-there isn't anything stopping us from staying in Beacon Hills anymore," I said, remembering how the Scavenger was the reason we'd left before. He was gone now. "But we don't have to stay. I don't want you to think we have to stay because I want to." Derek shook his head, a small smile falling on his lips.

"Alex, I'll leave whenever you want to leave," he assured me. "And if you wanna stay, that's fine too."

"But what do _you_ want?" I asked. "Last time we left it was because of me, and look what happened," I said, shuddering at the memory. "I don't wanna make a decision that's gonna end badly."

"That wasn't your fault," he said seriously. I could feel tears stinging in my eyes at the memory of seeing his ashen face as wolf's bane flooded his veins. Of seeing Marty... I shook my head, pulling away to stand up. "Hey," he warned, his hands catching me around the waist and pulling me back to him. "That wasn't your fault," he repeated, his hand cupping my face, his thumb rubbing my cheek. "None of it." I knew he could feel my distress. I knew he could hear my heart hammering in my chest. He pulled me closer, shifting me so that I was next to him on the couch, his arm around my shoulders as he tried to soothe me. It worked and I relaxed into his side.

"So, what were you saying about a trip?" he asked, his tone lighter. I smiled a little, feeling his lips press against my forehead.

"I feel like we need a fresh start, you know?" I said, looking up and meeting his green gaze. "Clean slate?" He smiled, brushing a strand of dark hair behind my ear.

"I think that's a great idea".

* * *

"Ugh," I groaned in irritation, throwing the atlas I'd borrowed from Lydia across the loft. She and Stiles had popped round to the loft earlier that week to give me some vacation advice, as well as some travel guides. All the books and paper weren't as useful as I'd thought they would be. "This is a nightmare."

"What's a nightmare," my green-eyed wolf asked as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and handed me a mug of coffee. I downed the entire thing in seconds, barely noticing how the hot liquid burnt my tongue, before I handed the mug back to him. I could practically hear him grimace. He hated it when I did that.

"It's been nearly two weeks and we still haven't decided where we're going," I pointed out, running a hand through my dark hair. For the first time in weeks I was legitimately stressed. Planning for the month ahead was all I could think about ever since Derek and I had decided to leave town.

"Don't worry about it," he told me calmly, the corner of his mouth twitching as he placed my coffee mug on the table. "We've got a lot of time to figure it out."

"No we don't," I insisted, my fingers getting tangled in a knot that I really needed to brush out. "By the end of today we need to have decided where we're going."

"Okay," he replied with a small smile of amusement, eyeing me as I rubbed my forehead.

"Okay," I replied with a huff. His smile widened and I heard him release a quiet chuckle before pulling me into his chest. He pressed a kiss to my temple.

"Relax," he hummed, his hands massaging my shoulders, his lips still on my skin. I felt the tension in my muscles ease as his fingers worked on my shoulder blades and I leaned into his touch. I knew werewolves could take away pain, but I was sure my green-eyed wolf had the ability to take away anxiety as well.

"Sorry," I breathed, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. I was being totally neurotic about the whole situation. "I just." I felt his lips brush against my hairline. "I want to choose the perfect place."

"I know," he replied. I turned my body so I was facing him and let my arms drape around his neck. "And I love that you care so much about this." I smiled up at him and pressed a kiss to his lips. We remained still for a moment, our green eyes locked on one another's.

"Can you show me again?" I asked tentatively as if I were a child asking for a secret. HE rolled his eyes at me and I bit my lip. "Please?" He sighed with a smile, rubbing circles on my back where his hands rested casually. His features grew serious and then his green orbs were replaced with a bright electric blue. I gasped a little, my eyes, dull by comparison, staring back into his captivating ones.

I knew he didn't understand why I kept asking to see his wolf eyes. If I was honest, I wasn't sure of the reason either. There was something dark about them. Something deep and real. I felt like I was looking into his soul. I held his face with both hands, my fingers scraping against his stubble.

" _Briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chait,"_ he whispered under his breath, blinking once and the blue was gone.

"What?" I asked, matching is soft tone. He interlaced his fingers with mine and pulled my hands away from his face.

"Peter said it to me once," Derek said, his green gaze thoughtful. "It means 'the nature of someone is reflected in their eyes.'" I rubbed the back of his hands with my thumbs, frowning at his suddenly sombre expression.

"I think they're beautiful," I whispered. Then he kissed me in the softest and most loving way I'd ever been kissed. His lips brushed mine and I could feel his warm breath as he sighed into it. His fingers lightly pushed on my chin to bring my lips to his. As soon as we'd pulled away he was leaning in again and I swiftly placed a finger to his mouth.

"Wait," I said quickly. "We need to make a decision first." He groaned and I placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before jumping back to the bed, grabbing the discarded atlas from the floor.

"What about Venice?" I asked as I stared at a map of Italy. "Or is that way too cliché?"

"I don't think cliché is much of a problem for us, Alex," he told me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him grabbing a travel guide from the substantial pile we'd accumulated over the last couple of weeks. "You always wanted to go to New York, right?" I shook my head.

"We already talked about New York," I reminded him. "Okay, how about this?" I flipped the large book around and held it up to him, a large map of the world spread across the two pages. "Pick a continent." He rubbed a seemingly exasperated hand over his face before casting a quick glance over the map.

"Antarctica." I shot him an unimpressed look, my lips forming a pout.

"It's too cold there," I said. "And too far away."

"Okay, uh, how about North America?" I rolled my eyes at him. _Was he trying to be funny?_ A yawn erupted from his mouth and closed the large atlas, letting it fall onto the sheets.

"Sorry, am I boring you?" I asked, pursing my lips and staring at him. He cracked a smile as he wondered over to the bed.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I gasped in mock offence, launching a pillow across the loft at him which he caught before it could collide with the side of his head.

"Come on, take this seriously," I whined at him. He rolled his eyes at me, letting himself fall back onto the bed, the springs pinging beneath him.

"I am taking is seriously," he assured me as I shuffled closer to him on the sheets, my fingers combing through his raven hair. "But even if we spent three months in a dingy motel room in Utah, I wouldn't care." I raised a brow at him and he sat up with a sigh. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, as long as I'm with the girl I love, I don't mind where we are."

"If that's how you really feel, why would you bother with all this?" I asked quietly, gesturing to the floor where books and maps were littered everywhere. "Why let me carry on with it all?"

"Because I know that finding the perfect place to go is important to you," Derek replied, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "This is the first time in your life that you're free to do anything you like with no fears about who's watching you. You deserve the chance to be able to do what you want." I stared at him as he retracted his hand from my cheek to look back at the travel guide he'd been flicking through.

Beacon Hills had changed me forever. I knew that by leaving the small Californian town I would be closing a door on an important chapter in my life. However, as I watched the man I loved so much flicking through the tiny Lonely Planet Guide, I couldn't bring myself to feel melancholy about it. I knew there were so many more to come.

"So, Venice?" he questioned absentmindedly, turning to gage me reaction. My mind ran over the options, the places, the contract, until it finally settled on the man in front of me. The man I loved. My Derek Hale. My green-eyed wolf. I smiled, edging closer and pressing my lips to his before pulling the book from his hands.

"We can decide tomorrow," I told him, realising he had been completely right. It didn't really matter where we ended up. As long as he was by my side, I would be okay.

* * *

 **AN: So that's the end :'( I hope you liked it!**

 **Just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who had read this story, followed this story, favorited this story and reviewed this story! You're all amazing and I love you!**

 **Also, I had this little idea that if people were interested, I could write a separate story of Derek and Alex one shots from. This would be on a kind of request basis so if that's something you might be interested in, shoot me a message or leave a review :)**

 **From now on, I'm gonna be putting most of my effort into my Supernatural story, contra naturam, but I've had some ideas about another stories that I might start writing over the summer. Would be great if you could check out the poll on my profile and let me know what you think!**

 **Thanks again :) Let me know what you thought of this chapter and the story as a whole! Much love x**


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